Iraq tribunal confirms Saddam trial date News
Iraq tribunal confirms Saddam trial date

[JURIST] The Iraqi Special Tribunal [official website] Monday officially confirmed [press release] that ousted Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein will go on trial on October 19 for the 1982 killings of 143 Shiite Muslims in the village of Dujail [JURIST report], confirming a date announced by the government [JURIST report] a month ago. In a statement, the tribunal said Saddam and six associates, including his former vice-president and his half-brother, would be tried on charges of crimes against humanity. Currently the murders in Dujail are the only crimes for which Saddam has been charged, though more charges related to the the killing of Kurds in the 1980s and the harsh suppression of Shi'ite and Kurdish uprisings in 1991 are expected. The tribunal also said defense counsel for Hussein had previously been informed of the trial date, and indicated that pursuant to IST rules they could submit evidence no later than 15 days before trial, a deadline expiring Tuesday. Reuters has more.