Hunger-striking Saddam boycotts court hearing

No defence lawyers and only one of Saddam's co-defendants came to the hearing at the Iraqi High Tribunal in Baghdad, triggering the ire of Judge Rauf Abdel Rahman, who accused them of political grandstanding.

"The decision of the lawyers to boycott the hearing is designed to generate publicity and thwart the course of justice," he declared.

Saddam and seven former allies are accused of having overseen the execution of 148 Shiite civilians from the village of Dujail in revenge for an alleged 1983 bid to assassinate the then Iraqi leader.

The defendants and their legal team claim that the court is a front for US forces in Iraq and have refused to accept its authority. On July 7, Saddam and three defendants began a hunger strike in protest at their treatment.

Saddam's half-brother and former secret police chief Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti did turn up for the hearing, but then refused to accept a court-appointed lawyer and demanded to be excused and allowed to return to his cell.