Saddam Could Hang This Week

December 26th, 2006

Baghdad, Iraq - An Iraqi appeals court has upheld a ruling that ousted President Saddam Hussein should hang for crimes against humanity leading to speculation that Saddam could hang this week.

The court rejected an appeal by Saddam Hussein's lawyers and confirmed that he would be hanged.

The appeal was launched after an Iraqi court sentenced Saddam Hussein to death on November 5th for the 1982 killings of 148 Shias in the town Dujail.

Under Iraqi law, Saddam Hussein must be executed within 30 days.

"It cannot exceed 30 days. As from tomorrow the sentence could be carried out at any time," appeals court judge Arif Shaheen told a news conference in Baghdad.

He added that there could be no further appeal against the verdict.

The decision of the appeals court must be ratified by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, but Judge Shaheen said Saddam Hussein's sentence could not be commuted.

Saddam Hussein's defence lawyer Khalil al-Dulaimi told the AFP news agency that the court's verdict "was expected".

"We were not at all surprised, as we are convinced that this has been - 100% - a political trial," he said.

The former president is currently facing a separate trial in connection with a military campaign against Kurdish communities in the 1980s.