BAGHDAD, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The trial of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and his seven codefendants over charges against humanity resumed in a court in Baghdad on Tuesday. Chief judge Raouf Abdul-Rahman ordered that the court would only hear testimonies of defense witnesses for three Saddam's codefendants, Muhammed Azzawi, Abdullah Kadhem Ruweid and his son Mezhar Abdullah Ruweid.

    The three codefendants were former Baath Party officials who were accused of assisting Saddam's security forces in disclosing some of the 148 countrymen of the town of Dujail who were later executed in the 1980s.

    In the 25th court session, the defense witnesses testified behind a curtain to protect their identities.

    According to Iraqi law, the court should first hear the plaintiffs' complaints against the defendants and the prosecutions' evidences against them and then the defense team is to have its say and bring out defense witnesses.

    Saddam and his seven codefendants were accused of involvement in the 1982 killing in Dujail village.

    If convicted, they might face death penalty.

    Another trial of Saddam over the killings of estimated 100,000 Kurds in the late 1980s is also expected to be launched soon. Enditem