Iraq: Get Ready for the Show Trial of the Decade

reutersalertnet: Saddam is denied legal rights, his lawyer says

Saddam Hussein's new defence lawyers plan to prove he has been denied his legal rights when they defend him at a "show trial" next month, according to the lawyer assembling the team.

Iraqi officials have said the former Iraqi president will go on trial on Oct. 19, but London-based barrister Abdel Haq Alani told Reuters on Sunday the U.S.-backed court had not even told him the trial date or the charges against him.

"We can prove in court that there has never been a due process of law. This is what is going to embarrass the Americans," said Alani, who was hired by Saddam's eldest daughter Raghd.

"We have not had any charge laid formally against the accused nor have we had any evidence as to what the elements are of the charge. There has not been a single document served to the defence on the charges, not any shred of evidence, nothing."

Alani said the defence strategy will focus on undermining the legitimacy of the court, by showing that the judges are not impartial and that Saddam has already been subject to legal bias, including failure to allow his lawyers to examine the supporting evidence of the prosecution.

"The man has been denied legal access, he has not been given enough legal advice or told of his rights, and he can't see the lawyer of his choice. That is not how it works," said Alani. Read more

db: This fandango does not serve the interests of his alleged victims - or of justice. It is clear that the US seeks to avoid the embarrassment that an authentic trial would bring - at any cost.

wikipedia - Show trial