Special report: Saddam Hussein's
Fate
BAGHDAD, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Iraq's Department of
Justice Friday denied reports saying that U.S. has transferred ousted Iraqi
leader Saddam Hussein to the Iraqi authorities, pan-Arabic television al-Jazeera
reported.
Officials from Justice Ministry said that the news
report about the transfer of Saddam is untrue, adding that Saddam is still in
custody of Americans now.
The denial of Iraqi officials came after CNN quoted a
defense lawyer of Saddam as saying that they were asked by the U.S.officials to
pick up belongings of Saddam, who has been transferred from U.S. custody to
Iraqi authorities.
CNN also hailed the hand-over as a key step before the
former Iraqi president is executed, saying that it is apparent that the
execution process is under way.
Saddam is now being held at a U.S. camp near Baghdad
international airport.
On Nov. 5, a panel of five Iraqi judges sentenced
Saddam, his half-brother Barzan al-Tikriti and Iraq's former chief judge Awad
Hamed al-Bandar to death by hanging for killing of 148 people in Dujail, some 60
km north of Baghdad.
On Dec. 3, the defense lawyers of Saddam officially
appealed to the higher court against the death penalty imposed on Saddam and
another two codefendants.
However, the Iraqi appellate court chief announced on
Tuesday that the court had upheld the death sentence for Saddam Hussein and he
would be executed within 30 days.
Related:
Defence lawyer says Saddam transferred to Iraqi custody
BAGHDAD, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi former President Saddam Hussein's defence lawyer said on Friday that Saddam has been transferred to Iraqi custody after three years under U.S. custody.
CNN reported that this was a key step before the former president is executed and it is apparent that the execution process is under way. But it said the U.S. officials in Baghdad did not confirm the handover.
Reuters quoted one of Saddam's defence lawyers as saying that U.S. officials had asked him to pick up the personal belongings of Saddam.
