The defendant's doc remains empty after former Iraqi President Saddam Hussien, his co-defendants, and chosen defense team, do not arrive for their trial in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone. The trial of Saddam and his former cohorts on charges of crimes against humanity resumed without any of the eight defendants in court.(Xinhua/AFP)

Chief judge Raouf Rashid Abdel-Rahman presides over the trial of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and seven co-defendants held under tight security in Baghdads heavily fortified Green Zone, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2006. Saddam Hussein's trial resumed Thursday without any of the eight defendants in the courtroom. (Xinhua/AFP)

    BAGHDAD, Feb. 2 (Xinhuanet) -- The trial of the toppled Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and seven codefendants resumed on Thursday with the absence of all defendants.

    The session started about 90 minutes late without defendants as Saddam and four other co-accused boycotted the trial and the other three defendants were prevented from entering the court because they caused chaos outside courtroom, according to the chief Judge Raouf Abdul Rahman.

    "The court decided to continue expelling Saddam and Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, Taha Yassin Ramadan, Awad al-Bandar and Mezhir Abdullah Ruwaiyd, as they insisted to boycott the court," Rahman said in the beginning of the session.

    He also decided to expel the other three defendants who exist outside the courtroom as they caused chaos and continue the trial.  Enditem