Posted on 01/07/2007 11:17:26 AM PST by Alouette
Lawyers of deposed Iraqi leader say they will sue Iraqi government at International Court of Justice over abuses by executioners during and after execution
Roee Nahmias Published: 01.07.07, 15:01
A member of Saddam Hussein's legal team said Sunday that she intends on suing the Iraqi government at the International Court of Justice over the taunting of the former leader by executioners on the gallows.
Bushra al-Khalil told the Saudi daily al-Watan that she will sue the Iraqi authorities for allowing two of Saddam's personal foes to attend the execution and over reports that executioners had abused the dead body of the former leader.
She claimed that Shiite leader Abdel Aziz al-Hakim and Muqtada al-Sadr were present at the execution.
She added that the court will be asked to authorize that Saddam's body be exhumed for an autopsy to check for abuse signs on his body.
The Shiite al-Hakim clan accuses Saddam of having ordered the execution of hundreds of opposition Shiite leaders, while Muktada al-Sadr accuses the Iraqi leader of having killed his father Mohammad al-Sadr.
A short footage of the execution recorded on a mobile phone and published on the internet showing Saddam being taunted by the executioners before hanged stirred anger among Iraq's Shiites and drew a wave of criticism from the international community.
In the video, witnesses are heard telling Saddam to "go to hell" and praising al-Sadr as the Iraqi leader kept his calm second before hanging.
Delaying execution of codefendants
Rumors have it that Saddam's legal team are cashing in on the controversial footage to delay the execution of Saddam's half brother and the head of Iraq's Revolutionary Court.
Defense lawyers have submitted a request with the Pentagon demanding that Barzan Ibrahim and Awad Hamed al-Bandar not be handed to the Iraqi authorities until an investigation into Saddam's execution is completed.
"We have also sent a letter to the United Nations and Amnesty International about the issue. The United Nations is working but not in the scope we expected, as it acted on the declarative level only. We expected it takes a decision that will commit the Iraqi government as happens with other nations," she said.
"The law will be breached again by the Iraqi government and Saddam's deputy, Taha Yassin Ramadan will be executed without being allowed to stand a fair trial," she said.
The Iraqi Appeals Court supported prosecution claims that a life sentence handed down on Saddam is insufficient and ordered he'd be executed.
She said that her team was unaware of the dates on which Saddam's half brother and former justice chief will be executed.
hyperextension of the neck is abuse?
Let his case be decided by a Shiite jury.
I was so hoping his body was returned in a million little pieces.
I'm with you on that.
Looks like Saddam was on someone's Shiite list.
I doubt that very seriously. The US flew him to his home town and I'm quite sure he was examined before he was turned over to his relatives. If he had been abused, then the US would not have returned the body to his family but would have disposed of it before it could cause trouble.
I say it wasn't. I have more credibility than Saddam's lawyers. So that's it.
And......
Good thing he wasn't in Connecticut, where certain types of bullying are against State law.
Another good reason that terrorists' lawyers should all be hung with them.
Not that I care about these accusations -- if they're true, it couldn't have happened to a better guy -- but there is propaganda value in this for the enemy, foreign and domestic. There was little reason to think a trial and execution of Saddam would necessarily be managed properly. One more reason why the monster should have been gunned down in his spider hole.
So?
Who cares??? Too bad he couldn't be as "abused" as his victims................
Whoa.... intriguing to say the least.
wtf? He's Dead Jim...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.