Special report: Execution of Saddam Hussein
Special report: Tension escalates in Iraq

    BAGHDAD, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- The genocide trial of six of former Iraqi officials resumed in Baghdad Monday without their codefendant Saddam Hussein who was hanged on Dec. 30.

    The six codefendants are facing charges of genocide against Kurds in the trial of Anfal case, in which prosecutors said that up to 180,000 Kurds were allegedly killed, many of them by poison gas and mass killings.

    The court sessions on was resumed without Saddam Hussein whose face was familiar sight sitting in a front chair of the court's dock and showing defiance since the so-called "Operation Anfal" trial commenced on August 21 in Baghdad.

    At the beginning of the session, Chief Judge, Muhammad al-Urieby said his court dropped all legal procedures against the defendant Saddam Hussein.

    "According to a letter received from Iraqi High Tribunal on Jan. 7 concerning the execution of defendant Saddam Hussein, the court decided to stop legal procedures against him," Urieby said.

    The remaining important codefendant on Anfal trial is AliHassan al-Majid, also known as "Chemical Ali" who is the cousin of Saddam Hussein and former defense minister.

    The other five codefendants are also facing charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

    If convicted, the remaining six defendants could face the death penalty.

    Saddam Hussein was hanged on Dec. 30 after found guilty on a previous case of Dujail town, in which 148 Shiites were executed in the aftermath of a failed assassination attempt against Saddam in the town, some 60 km north of Baghdad.

    Two more of Saddam's aides are waiting for their death penalty in the case of Dujail, they were Saddam's half brother Barzan al-Tikriti and Iraq's former chief judge Awad Ahmed al-Bandar.