Khalil al-Dulaimi, Saddam's chief defense lawyer, told reporters in Amman Feb. 12, that Saddam and his seven co-defendants were not to stage a hunger strike. (Xinhua/Reuters photo)

    AMMAN, Feb. 12 (Xinhuanet) -- A lawyer of the former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein denied on Sunday that Saddam planned to go on hunger strike.

    Khalil al-Dulaimi, Saddam's chief defense lawyer, told reporters here that Saddam and his seven co-defendants were not to stage a hunger strike, dismissing previous reports as "lacking foundation."

    Earlier, it was reported that Saddam and his aides would start a hunger strike to protest the trial proceedings on Monday when they are due to appear in a fresh court session.

    Saddam and his seven aides are facing charges of crimes against humanity, including the killing of over 140 Shiite men in a northern village following a failed assassination attempt on Saddam in 1982.

    If convicted, they might face the death penalty. The high-profile trial has been marred by the killing of two defense lawyers, the resignation of chief judge Rizkar Mohammed Amin and successive postponements.

    Saddam and his defense team walked out of the court room on Jan.30 in protest against new chief judge Raouf Abdel Rahman, whom they accused of unfair handling of the trial.

    Saddam and his defense team also boycotted the last session on Feb. 1.

    Saddam's defense team has threatened not to return to the court unless Rahman, a Kurd, was removed. Enditem

Saddam to start hunger strike: lawyer

Former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein argues with chief judge in Baghdad on January 29, 2006.(Xinhua/AFP photo)

    BAGHDAD, Feb. 12 (Xinhuanet) - A lawyer of ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein said Sunday that Saddam and the seven co-defendants would start a hunger strike on Monday.

    Saddam and his seven aides decided to start a hunger strike from Monday in protest against illegitimate procedures and bad treatment by the court, said the leading member of Saddam's defense team.

    Meanwhile, reports reaching here from the Jordanian capital Amman also said that the eight will refuse food from Monday in protest against "being forced to attend the trial while being prisoners of war and also over the illegitimacy of the court".

    Saddam's chief lawyer, Khalil Dulaimi was quoted as saying sources inside the prison had leaked the information on the strike. The next hearing is due on Monday. Enditem