A special Iraqi court will begin the trial of Saddam Hussein as scheduled on October 19th, a spokesman said today, dismissing concern the landmark case might be delayed.
Iraqi tribunal judge and spokesman for the Iraqi Special Tribunal Judge Raid Juhi confirmed that the trial of the toppled former President Saddam Hussein would open on Wednesday
Judge Raad Jouhi said it was too early to tell whether a conviction would mean a death penalty - although most Iraqis and foreign observers expect a swift execution.
"This will not be decided until the last minute," Judge Jouhi told a news conference. Five judges are set to open proceedings against Saddam and seven other former members of his government for crimes against humanity in the killing of more than 140 Shia Muslim villagers at Dujail in 1982.
Saddam will eventually face other charges such as the gassing of Kurdish villagers and brutally crushing a Shi'ite rebellion in southern Iraq in 1991.
Judge Jouhi, the investigating judge who brought the initial charges against Saddam and has since been named spokesman of the special tribunal appointed to try him, said the trial would open with a reading of the charges and a short statement by the defense.
Government officials have left little doubt that they expect Saddam to be found guilty and put to death, in line with the wishes of millions of Iraqis who suffered under his almost three decades of brutal rule.
Judge Jouhi said the special tribunal had thousands of witnesses for each case. Saddam's defence team has challenged the legitimacy of the tribunal and said they have had insufficient time to prepare, spurring concern the case might be delayed. Judge Jouhi declined to estimate how long Saddam's trial would take.