Saddam trial judge seeks asylum in UK: Jazeera

Dubai, Mar 10: The Iraqi trial judge who sentenced former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein to death has asked for asylum in Britain, Al Jazeera television said.

The television's London correspondent said that Raouf Abdel Rahman had asked for asylum after going to Britain with his family in mid-December on a visitor's visa.

''The information we have is that the judge sought asylum for reasons including that he fears for his own life and the lives of family members ... The application is being considered by the Home Office,'' said the correspondent, Nasser al-Badri, citing unnamed official British sources.

There was no immediate comment from British or Iraqi officials.

Saddam Hussein was executed on December 30, 2006 after being found guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced to hang on November 5 in the court headed by Abdel Rahman. The trial was over the killing of 148 Shi'ite men after a 1982 assassination attempt against Saddam in the Iraqi town of Dujail.

Abdel Rahman, a Kurd, was named as chief judge in the trial in January 2006, after Rizgar Amin resigned in protest at what he said was pressure from the Iraqi government.

Abdel Rahman also found guilty and sentenced to death Saddam's former chief judge, Awad Hamed al-Bander and Saddam's half-brother, Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti. Both were executed.

Reuters