Iran has filed a lawsuit against the toppled Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein for his 1980s war against Tehran, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, who’s on a visit to Baghdad, said Saturday in a joint statement with his Iraqi counterpart.
"The two sides, noting the crimes committed by Saddam Hussein's regime in its aggression against the people of Iraq, Iran and Kuwait, confirmed the need to seek justice for that," the statement said.
"To this end the Iranian Republic has passed on to the Foreign Ministry of Iraq a complaint against Saddam and his agents for examination by the Iraqi High Tribunal", the statement added.
During his visit Mottaki declared his country’s support for Iraq's new government and pledged to help it with reconstruction projects.
Saddam and seven co-defendants are facing trial over Dujail massacre, involving the killing of nearly 150 Shias in 1980s, after a failed attempt to assassinate the former Iraqi President.
According to AFP report, the complaint filed by Tehran did not include any charges against Saddam or any of the members of his former regime.
On July 1982 Saddam arrived in Dujail for a meeting aimed at lobbying support over the country's war againt Iran, when a member of the Daawa party opened fire at him. The former Iraqi leader escaped the assassination attempt, which was followed by a heated shooting fight that lasted for a few hours.
As a punishment for the assassination attempt, Saddam's secret police raided the Dujail village, captured a number of people and conducted field trials.
About 150 people were executed and the rest of the village residents were banished by the police to camps in the desert.