Saddam lawyers end boycott of trial
Ap, Baghdad
Saddam Hussein's defence lawyers ended their monthlong boycott of his trial, attending proceedings yesterday even though the judge rejected their demands that he step down. Their return gives a boost to a troubled trial. Saddam and his seven co-defendants entered the court and took their seats silently a rarity since the former Iraqi leader and his half brother Barzan Ibrahim have shouted slogans or argued with the judge at the start of almost every previous session. Chief judge Raouf Abdel-Rahman opened the session by announcing that the five-judge panel had rejected a defence request that Abdel-Rahman and the chief prosecutor be removed from the trial. Saddam's chief lawyer Khaled al-Dulaimi said he would appeal and asked that Tuesday's session be halted immediately, a request Abdel-Rahman refused. Al-Dulaimi and his colleague Khamis al-Obeidi left the court to prepare an appeal, but the other six members of the defence team remained.
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