Lawyers 'won't abandon Saddam'

2005-11-20 20:31

Amman - A Jordanian member of Saddam Hussein's defence team said on Sunday his lawyers would "never abandon" the deposed Iraqi leader and would defend him in court at the risk of their lives.

"We will never abandon our client, the president, under no circumstances" said Issam Ghazzawi, nine days before Saddam's trial was set to resume in Baghdad.

"We will continue to defend him even if we are killed," he said in reference to the murder of two lawyers of Saddam's co-defendants last month after the start of the trial on October 19.

"We are not boycotting the court. We suspended going to court because of the lack of security" said Ghazzawi.

"But, we will go to court if they give us protection or not. We cannot abandon the president, but it is our right to ask for protection."

Earlier this month, Saddam's defence team said in Baghdad that lawyers of the jailed former Iraqi leader would stay away from the trial which was set to resume on November 28.

Refusal to protect the lawyers

"Because of the murders of members of the collective who carry out their work in a professional and independent way, 1 100 lawyers have withdrawn and ended their collaboration," they said in a statement.

The lawyers complained about "the refusal by the government, American forces and international bodies to protect (the lawyers) and their families."

The Iraqi authorities have said that an offer of additional police protection was turned down after the abduction and assassination last month of Saadun Janabi, who was acting for one of Saddam's co-defendants.

Janabi, who represented Awad Ahmad al-Bandar, a former chief judge of Iraq's revolutionary court and deputy head of Saddam's office, was found dead on October 21, two days after the high-profile trial opened in Baghdad.

A second lawyer, Adel Mohammed Abbas, was shot dead on November 8 when gunmen opened fire on him and lawyer Tamer Hammud Hadi in Baghdad.

On trial for 1982 massacre

Abbas represented former vice-president Taha Yassin Ramadan.

Hadi, wounded in the attack, works on the defense of Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, Saddam's half-brother and former head of the Mukhabarat intelligence services.

Saddam and seven former aides are on trial on charges related to a 1982 massacre of more than 140 Shi'ite villagers from Dujail, north of the capital.

All pleaded not guilty, but, if convicted, they could be executed.

- AFP