| Saddam and lawyers boycotted trial { January 2006 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active) http://www.forbes.com/business/energy/feeds/ap/2006/02/01/ap2491356.htmlhttp://www.forbes.com/business/energy/feeds/ap/2006/02/01/ap2491356.html
Associated Press Update 8: Saddam Refuses to Attend Trial Session By HAMZA HENDAWI , 02.01.2006, 09:24 AM
Saddam Hussein and four other defendants refused to attend a new session of their trial Wednesday and their lawyers boycotted the proceedings, demanding the removal of the chief judge, who they claim is biased against the former Iraqi leader.
Chief judge Raouf Abdel-Rahman pressed ahead with the proceedings with court-appointed defense lawyers and only three defendants present, hearing five prosecution witnesses.
One witness, a woman, testified that she was arrested by Saddam's security forces and tortured in prison. She said she was stripped naked, hung by her feet and kicked repeatedly in the chest by Barzan Ibrahim, Saddam's intelligence chief at the time and the top co-defendant in the trial.
"What crime have we all committed to go through this agony?" she said.
After a 4 1/2-hour session, the trial was adjourned until Thursday.
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