Saddam Judge Resigns, Pressed to Backtrack

[sonz]

BAGHDAD, January 15, 2006 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Pressure is mounting on the Iraqi judge presiding over the trial of ousted president Saddam Hussein to backtrack on his decision to resign in the face of government criticism of his handling of the case.

"Judge Rizkar Mohammed Amin, the president of first criminal court, resigned for personal reasons, and not because of government pressure," the Iraqi High Tribunal said in a statement cited by Agence France-Presse (AFP).

"The cabinet has not yet ruled on his resignation," it added.

A spokeswoman for the office of Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari, who is currently out of the country, has confirmed that his chief of staff received Amin's letter of resignation a few days ago.

An official close to the court had earlier said Amin submitted his resignation on January 10.

The judge wanted to resign because of strong government criticism at the way he has allowed Saddam and his seven co-defendants to speak out in court, the official said.

The resignation must be accepted by the president of the three-chamber tribunal and Iraq's cabinet.

Tribunal rules specify that a judge must submit his resignation to Jamal Mustafa, president of the three-chambered tribunal, who then passes it to the cabinet.

If accepted, Amin will become the second judge on the five-strong panel trying Saddam to quit since the trial began on October 19.

Amin, a Kurd, is the only judge in the Saddam trial who has allowed himself to be identified in court and shown on television when the court is in session.

The other four remain anonymous for fear of reprisals for taking part in the high-profile case.

Two defense lawyers were shot dead shortly after the opening of the trial.

Pressures

Others judges from the tribunal and government representatives have traveled to Amin's home city of Sulaimaniyah in the Kurdish north to persuade him to reconsider his decision.

"Efforts are underway to try to get him to change his mind," an official close to the tribunal told AFP on condition of anonymity.

A source close to the Kurdish judge told Reuters that tribunal officials were trying to talk him out of his decision.

"He tendered his resignation to the court a few days ago but the court rejected it. Now talks are under way to convince him to go back on his decision.

A government delegation was also attempting to convince the Kurdish judge to change his decision.

"The government has sent a delegation to see him because they are afraid of the damage this will do to the credibility of the tribunal," one of the prosecutors in the trial, Mumkidh Taklif Al-Fatlawi, told Reuters.

Protest

Amin's resignation comes in protest of government criticism to his handling of the trial, according to Reuters.

"He's under a lot of pressure, the whole court is under political pressure," a source close to the Kurdish judge said.

"He had complaints from the government that he was being too soft in dealing with Saddam. They want things to go faster."

The last straw, the source said, was a letter criticizing his handling of the trial from Shiite leader Moqtada Al-Sadr, whose group joined the ruling Shiite coalition in the recent general elections which will determine the future government.

Amin has been criticized for allowing what critics see as theatrics by the defense counsels and the co-accused.

But supporters say the Kurdish judge has sought to give the defendants, who face a possible death penalty, as much leeway as possible in a bid to ensure the process is seen as fair.

"It is notable that the judge has succeeded in getting (the defendants) to address the issues in the case to greater degree," said Nehal Bhuta of Human Rights Watch, noting that most of the comments by defendants in the past sessions at least pertained to the testimony.

But "the court does need to manage this better, to reduce exchanges of insults or shouting at witnesses and to keep the defendants to the point," he added.

Saddam's leading defense counsel, Khalil Dulaimi, welcomed the news of Amin's resignation offer, but said it made no difference to the case.

"For the defense team, it makes no difference whether this judge stays or goes, because in spite of our respect for his ethics, we do not recognize the legality of the court".

The eight men are charged with ordering the massacre of more than 140 Shiites from the town of Dujail following a 1982 assassination attempt on Saddam.

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for January 24.