Saddam trial adjourns to Feb. 13
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-02-02 20:42

The trial of Saddam Hussein and his aides has adjourned until Feb. 13 after the court heard two testimonies.

Chief judge Rauof Abdul Rahman ordered the trial to be adjourned to give enough time for the witnesses to appear to testify in the next session.

In the Thursday session, the court heard two witnesses, both spoke behind a curtain against Saddam and his aides.

One witness told the court that Barzan Ibrahim, Saddam's half brother and intelligence chief, had tortured him after Saddam's security forces arrested him following the assassination attempt against Saddam.

Earlier in the day, the trial of Saddam and seven codefendants was resumed after a delay of about 90 minutes with the absence of all defendants and the defense team.

Saddam and four other co-accused boycotted the trial and the other three defendants were prevented from entering the court because they caused chaos outside courtroom, according the chief judge.

"The court decided to continue expelling Saddam and Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, Taha Yassin Ramadan, Awad al-Bandar and Mezhir Abdullah Ruwaiyd, as they insisted to boycott the court," Rahman said at the beginning of the session.

He also decided to expel the other three defendants who exist outside the courtroom as they caused chaos and continue the trial.

Saddam and his seven aides are charged with crimes against humanity, including the killing of over 140 Shiite men in Dujail after a failed assassination attempt on Saddam in 1982.