The Iraqi tribunal set up to try Saddam Hussein and top figures in his
regime risks delivering trials that are widely discredited, Human
Rights Watch says. The New York-based group said flaws in the
tribunal's statute raise concerns about the prospect of fair trials. It
could be a "wasted opportunity to put Saddam and his henchmen on trial
in a manner that has credibility in the eyes of the world", the group
said. Defence lawyers say their clients will not recognise the court's
legitimacy. Human Rights Watch is concerned that the special tribunals
used by the Iraqi government are not bound by rules forbidding the use
of confessions extracted under torture. It is also worried that guilt
does not have to be proven beyond reasonable doubt. The group also says
that judges and prosecutors lack experience in trying cases of
genocide. The organisation says the prospect of the death penalty for
defendants precludes the United Nations from providing support. [more]
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