Defence begins closing arguments in Saddam trial

Описание: (10 Jul 2006)
1. Wide of Chief judge Raouf Abdel-Rahman
2. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Raouf Abdel-Rahman, Chief Judge (first part overlaid with shot of defendant):
"We announce our deep sorrow (at the killing of one of Saddam's lawyers last month) and confirm that the court condemns any attack against lawyers or against any of those working in this court."
3. Mid shot of defendant Ali Dayih Ali in the dock
4. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Raouf Abdel-Rahman, Chief Judge:
"Khalil al-Duleimi, lawyer for the defendant Saddam Hussein, has presented a request to this court. The request contained a number of demands. Some were outside the scope of this court's work, some were answered by the court during previous sessions. There were other demands which violate the law."
5. Various of lawyer for Ali Dayih Ali speaking at podium
6. Prosecution lawyers listening to the defence
7. Chief judge Raouf Abdel-Rahman listening to the defence
8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ali Dayih Ali, Defendant
"I am feeling pain and agony to see myself accused of crimes against humanity. I am an educator, who fully understands what humanity means. Who am I to be tried today as a senior official of the former regime?"
9. Cutaway of chief judge listening to defendant
10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ali Dayih Ali, Defendant (picture shows wide of defendant in court)
"I think the report authors have missed out the truth while they were busy trying to set me up. They forgot that it was impossible to write such a report and for it to be signed with a full name. It is a big mistake by the fraudsters whoever they are."
11. Chief Judge listening to defendant
STORYLINE:
The defence began closing arguments in the trial of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein on Monday, but most of the lawyers boycotted the court after the killing of one of Saddam's lawyers last month.
Saddam's chief lawyer, Khalil al-Duleimi, was absent from the court, along with several other defence lawyers - apparently in protest over the death of Khamis al-Obeidi.
Al-Obeidi was abducted from his Baghdad home on June 21 and found shot dead hours later on a street near the Shiite neighbourhood of Sadr City.
Al-Obeidi was the third defence lawyer to be killed since the trial began in October.
Chief Judge Raouf Abdel-Rahman expressed his regrets over al-Obeidi's death, saying the court "strongly condemns any attack against lawyers or against any of those working in this court".
The lawyers for Saddam and three of his top co-defendants now say they are boycotting the court until better security is put in place and other demands are met.
It's thought the demands include better security and an adjournment of the trial to allow them more time to prepare their final arguments.
They say death and security fears have undermined their ability to defend Saddam and the seven other former members of his government.
However, at the start of Monday's session, chief judge Raouf Abdel-Rahman said he had received the defence team's requests but dismissed them.
He said some of the requests violated the law.
Following the opening statements from the chief judge, the lawyer for Ali Dayih Ali, a lower-level defendant in the case, was the first to deliver his arguments to the court.
In a new security measure, the lawyer's face was not shown in the television broadcast of the trial and his voice was electronically altered.
Ali, a former local Baath Party official in Dujail, has been accused of writing letters to security officials informing on Shiite families after the shooting attack on Saddam's motorcade.
Some of those he allegedly informed on were imprisoned and later killed.

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