Saddam Hussein Appears in Court on Charges of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity - 2004-07-01

Saddam Hussein, the former leader of Iraq, has appeared in a court in Baghdad to face charges of genocide and crimes against humanity during his brutal 24-year rule. His presence in court was broadcasted on television across the Arab world, showing the emotional reactions of Iraqis witnessing this historic trial. A spokesperson for the Iraqi Human Rights Association expressed happiness at seeing Saddam in a bad condition, stating that television portrayed him not as the harsh man who once ruled the lives of Iraqis, but as a desperate man asking for help. A radio host in Iraq mentioned that most listeners believed Saddam Hussein should be sentenced to death after a fair trial, while another radio station reported that most callers wanted Saddam to be released. Saddam stubbornly refused to sign a legal document outlining the charges, defended the 1990 invasion of Kuwait, condemned the trial as a theater, and claimed that the real criminal is President Bush. The court proceedings were recorded and will later be broadcast worldwide. Today's court session was held under extremely tight security at a U.S. military base on the outskirts of Baghdad. The interim Iraqi government took responsibility for the legal detention of Saddam and his former aides on Wednesday, changing their status from prisoners of war to criminal defendants. The U.S. military will continue to protect him.