Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein listens to the one of the prosecutors in Baghdad February 28, 2006. Prosecutors are reading documents which will allegedly link Saddam and his seven co-accused to the deaths of 148 Shi'ites from the town of Dujail in reprisal for a 1982 attempt on his life there.(Xinhua/Reuters)

    BAGHDAD, Feb. 28 (Xinhuanet) -- The trial of Saddam Hussein and his seven co-defendants has been adjourned until Wednesday after the prosecution presented several documents to the court on Tuesday.

    The prosecution displayed a series of documents related to the execution of 148 Shiite villagers in Dujail of northern Iraq, following a failed attempt on Saddam's life in 1982, Xinhua correspondent reported from the court.

    Prosecutor Jaafar al-Moussawi first submitted to the court a document of death sentences passed by Saddam's tribunal and a death list of 148 civilians from Dujail, which was illegally signed by the then president Saddam on June 16, 1984. The second document presented to the court was a letter dated on March 23, 1985, confirming the execution of the victims. "None of the 148 defendants were brought to the court and their statements were not recorded," Moussawi said.

    However, another document from Saddam's Revolutionary Court dated on March 23, 1985, said only 96 of the 148 listed people were executed at that time.

Khalil al-Dulaimi, chief lawyer for former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein , speaks to Head Judge Raouf Abdel Rahman before walking out of the trial in protest in Baghdad February 28, 2006.(Xinhua/Reuters)

    The rest on the list were killed later after interrogations, the intelligence said in another document.

    The prosecutor also displayed a document saying that more than 600 children and women from the families in Dujail were detained in the Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad.

    Tuesday's session was embroiled in wrangling shortly after the beginning when lead lawyers of Saddam walked out of the courtroom after the chief judge rejected their request to adjourn the trial. The trial resumed later at 1:40 p.m. (1040 GMT) till Chief Judge Raouf Rasheed Abdul Rahamn replaced the lawyers, including chief attorney Khalil al-Dulaimi, with court-appointed lawyers. Saddam's half brother Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti then questioned the judge's decision over the court-appointed lawyers. "This is not a court, this is a jungle law court," Ibrahim said. "If you do not obey the rules of the court we will have you removed from the court," Judge Rahman warned.

    Tuesday's session is the 13th session following the last stormy session on Feb. 14.

    Saddam and his seven co-defendants are tried on charges of crimes against humanity, including the killing of 148 Shiites in Dujail village following a failed attempt on Saddam's life in 1982. If convicted, Saddam could face death penalty. Enditem