The prosecutor asked for the death penalty for Saddam Hussein and two of his co-defendants, saying in closing arguments Monday that the former Iraqi leader and his regime committed crimes against humanity in a "revenge" attack on Shiite civilians in the 1980s.
The arguments brought the eight-month-old trial into its final phase. After Monday's session, the court adjourned until July 10, when the defense will begin making its final summation.
Saddam, dressed in a black suit, sat silently, sometimes taking notes, as chief prosecutor Jaafar al-Moussawi delivered his arguments, listing the evidence against each of the eight defendants.
Concluding his remarks, al-Moussawi asked for the death penalty against Saddam, his half brother Barzan Ibrahim - the head of the Mukhabarat intelligence agency at the time - and Taha Yassin Ramadan, a former senior regime member. The method of execution is hanging.
"The prosecution asks for the harshest penalty against them, because they spread corruption on earth, they showed no mercy even for the old, for women or for children, and even the trees were not safe from their oppression," he said. "The law calls for the death penalty and this is what we ask be implemented."
"Well done," Saddam muttered sarcastically.
The defense will likely take several sessions for its closing arguments. Then the five-judge panel is expected to call an adjournment to consider its verdicts against the eight defendants.
It is not known how long it will take for the judges to reach a decision. But the timeframe could mean verdicts as early as August or September.
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