A lawyer for Saddam Hussein’s second-in-command Tareq Aziz, have filed an official complaint about his treatement before the Iraqi tribunal inquiring into alleged war crimes carried out the ousted despot’s regime.
A lawyer for Saddam Hussein’s second-in-command Tareq Aziz, have filed an official complaint about his treatement before the Iraqi tribunal inquiring into alleged war crimes carried out the ousted despot’s regime.
Saddam's former deputy prime minister, appeared before Iraq's special tribunal for the first time as the process of questioning former regime loyalists continues. The tribunal released film showing Mr Aziz, looking relaxed in a white prison robe, responding to questions.
He was quizzed about an exchange of letters he had with Saddam's office over a written question from the United Nations about the killing of Kurds in 1991.
"I had no authority then," Mr Aziz told the prosecutor, explaining why he had not provided the statistics requested.
Several other officials were also questioned, including Saddam's cousin Ali Hassan al-Majid, known as Chemical Ali, who appeared before a judge for the second time in two weeks.
In the tribunal footage Mr Majid, who wore a traditional Arab head-dress and look old and tired, examined documents shown to him by the court.
Two of Saddam's half-brothers, Watban and Barzan al-Hassan, were among six other officials questioned last week, the tribunal said in an earlier statement.
The Iraqi government wants to put Saddam and other officials on trial as soon as possible. Saddam himself was questioned two weeks ago. Officials with the tribunal, set up 18 months ago, say the process cannot be rushed and no trial date has been set.
It was not clear when Mr Aziz was questioned but his lawyer Badea Aref, who was present during the questioning, said it happened on June 21st.
"The prosecutor was impolite to Mr Aziz and he even told him: 'You are a criminal'. This angered Mr Aziz and me and we had heated argument with him," he said.
"It is not acceptable and I am filing a complaint asking for the prosecutor to respect the defendant."
Mr Aziz, a rare Christian among the top Baath Party leadership and often considered number two in the leadership, is alleged to have been involved in several party purges in the 1970s and 80s during which an unspecified number of people died.
A fluent English speaker, he was the face of Saddam's regime in foreign capitals and at the United Nations.