Mohammad Rashdan

Amman, June 30 (Reuters): Saddam Hussein’s defence lawyer said today the former dictator would not get a fair trial and his captors had already decided his fate.

“This is a mockery of justice. We are facing clear legal violations... the allegations that this is going to be a fair trial is baseless,” said Mohammad Rashdan, one of a 20-strong legal team appointed by Saddam’s wife to represent him.

“Any trial of the President is illegal and unjust and it follows from the aggression that took place against Iraq. The trial is a farce and the guilty verdict had been issued even before the trial has begun,” he added.

Rashdan said he and his legal associates in the US filed suits against the American authorities for not allowing them access to Saddam. The defence team was not given any of the tonnes of documentation prepared by a special tribunal that will try the former Iraqi leader, he added.