6/14/2005
In a statement, an Iraqi specialized criminal court explained that the questioning with toppled Iraqi President Saddam Hussein which took place on Sunday falls in the course of completing investigations carried out by the investigation juries with President Hussein and several members of his regime over several accusations.
Sunday's investigations concentrated on the killing of 143 members in al-Dajil district in July 1982 following an attack incident against the procession of Saddam Hussein in one of the streets of the town, 60 km to the north of Baghdad.
The statement said that the questioning was made in the presence of member of the general attorney assigned to investigate in these crimes and the defense lawyer Khalil Abboud Saleh al-Duleimi. However, Issam Azzawi, one of the defending team for Saddam Hussein said that investigating him without a lawyer is an illegal matter." Shots of a video tape showed the toppled Iraqi president, before the court answering questions put by young judge Raed Jouhi. No voice was heard, rather a picture without voice appeared showing Saddam as a determined man, gazing into the judge.
This is the second time in which Saddam Hussein is brought before the court. He was brought before the court last year during which accusations addressed to him was read. The video tape also showed four members of the old Iraqi regime brought before the court which has not yet set a date for the beginning of the trial of Hussein.