IRAQ: LAWYERS GO ON STRIKE IN PROTEST AT KILLING OF DEFENCE LAWYER FOR ONE OF SADDAM HUSSEIN'S CO-DEFENDANTS

Record ID: 342215

  • Title: IRAQ: LAWYERS GO ON STRIKE IN PROTEST AT KILLING OF DEFENCE LAWYER FOR ONE OF SADDAM HUSSEIN'S CO-DEFENDANTS
  • Date: 6th April 2006
  • Summary: (MER2) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (OCTOBER 26, 2005)(REUTERS) 1. WIDE SHOT EXTERIOR OF IRAQI BAR ASSOCIATION 0.05 2. BANNER FIXED AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE ASSOCIATION READING: "IRAQI LAWYERS DENOUNCE AND VEHEMENTLY CONDEMN THE KIDNAPPING AND THE ASSASSINATION OF LAWYER SAADOUN AL-JANABI AND CALL ON THE GOVERNMENT TO FIND THE PERPETRATORS WHO TARGETED LAW, THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM AND THE LAWYERS WITH THEIR CRIME." 3. "IRAQI BAR ASSOCIATION" SIGN 4. LAWYERS SITTING INSIDE THE ASSOCIATION BUILDING 5. MORE OF LAWYERS SITTING INSIDE ASSOCIATION BUILDING 6. MORE OF LAWYERS 7. TWO LAWYERS CHATTING 8. LAWYER TALKING ON MOBILE PHONE 0.55 9. (SOUNDBITE)(Arabic), KAMAL HAMDOUN, HEAD OF THE IRAQI BAR ASSOCIATION, SAYING "The council of the Bar Association has met and decided to announce a general strike on this day all over Iraq, in the provinces, the capital and the districts and sub-districts. The decision is binding for all the lawyers, who number over 40,000. The strike will be for this day only." 1.36 10. LAWYERS SITTING INSIDE ASSOCIATION BUILDING 11. LAWYERS READING NEWSPAPER 12. EXTERIOR OF BAGHDAD COURT OF APPEAL 14. EXTERIOR OF CLOSED COURT AND TRAFFIC 2.07 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 21st April 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
  • Country: Iraq
  • Reuters ID: LVA76E06P8UKGC4FJB9Q8K6MYEEL
  • Story Text: Iraqi lawyers go on strike in protest at the killing
    of a defence lawyer for one of Saddam's co-defendants.

    Iraqi lawyers went on a general strike on
    Wednesday (October 26, 2005) in protest against the kidnapping
    and murder last week of a defence lawyer for one of
    Saddam' Hussein's co-defendants.

    Saadoun Janabi, a defence attorney for Awad al-Bander,
    a former top Iraqi judge who appeared in court with Saddam
    and six other men on Wednesday (October 19) at the start of
    their trial, was found shot dead shortly after being
    kidnapped on Thursday (October 20) by armed men who
    identified themselves as Interior Ministry employees.

    Iraqi courts remained close on Wednesday as all the
    lawyers abstained from appearing in courts in an
    implementation of the association's earlier decision. A
    banner was put at the entrance to the building denouncing
    the killing and calling for a full investigation by the
    government, as some of the lawyers assembled in the
    headquarters of the Bar Association in Baghdad
    "The council of the Bar Association has met and
    decided to announce a general strike on this day all over
    Iraq, in the provinces, the capital and the districts and
    sub-districts. The decision is binding for all the lawyers
    who number over 40,000. The strike will be for this day
    only," said Kamal Hamdoun, head of the Bar Association.

    Al-Jabani's slaying has spread fear among the other
    12 defence lawyers present on Wednesday at the opening
    session of the trial for Saddam and seven co-defendants.

    Saddam's attorneys demanded that the trial -- now set to
    resume Nov. 28 -- be postponed if investigations into the
    slaying are not completed by then. They also demanded that
    the government provide them protection and even move the
    trial outside Iraq,
    The case, which opened in a Baghdad courtroom amid
    tight security, is the first against Saddam, who faces
    charges of crimes against humanity and may also be charged
    with war crimes and genocide for offences during his nearly three
    decade rule.

    Rights groups, who have called for an international
    trial abroad, away from Iraq's escalating violence that has
    pushed the country to the brink of civil war, urged the
    Shi'ite-led government to rapidly bolster security for the
    proceedings.

    Specifically, they called for equal protection for
    defence attorneys and witnesses as have been granted to
    prosecutors and judges in the landmark case.

    The trial was adjourned until Nov. 28 after the judge
    said witnesses were "too scared" to testify. Janabi, a
    personal friend of Saddam, was one of the few lawyers to
    address the court, which was broadcast around the world.

    Only one of the five judges revealed his identity to the
    cameras.

    Heavy security already had been provided for the trial
    prosecutors and judges, who were considered likely targets
    of insurgents.

    Their names have not been revealed and their faces were
    not shown in the broadcast of Wednesday's opening session
    with the exception of the presiding judge and the top
    prosecutor, whose identities were revealed for the first
    time.


  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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