The trial of Saddam Hussein on charges of genocide will resume on Wednesday despite the sacking of the chief judge.
BAGHDAD: The trial of Saddam Hussein on charges of genocide will resume on Wednesday despite the sacking of the chief judge, a US official close to the court said.
"The trial will take place," the official said.
He, however, said it was not immediately known who will take over as the chief judge after Abdullah al-Ameri was removed on Tuesday by the Iraqi cabinet, saying he was biased towards the defendants.
"We do not know what is the situation on the aspect of the judge, but the trial will take place," the official said.
As a normal practice during the trial, journalists were taken to the court on Wednesday to cover the session.
According to rules of the Iraqi High Tribunal, the court trying the former dictator, the deputy presiding judge of the trial could succeed the chief judge.
The trial has a panel of five judges with one chief judge. In this case it was Ameri who was the presiding judge, but on Tuesday, the Iraqi cabinet sacked him.
"I can confirm (Judge Abdullah al-Ameri) has been removed," government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said on Tuesday.
"The government of Iraq feels the judge is no longer neutral as could be seen when he described Saddam Hussein as not being a 'dictator'," Dabbagh said, referring to a statement made by Ameri during the trial five days ago.
In reaching their decision to sack Ameri, the Shiite-led cabinet had also taken into consideration "a big uprising from the people, who feel that there is no longer any neutrality for the victims," said Dabbagh.
Ameri has 25 years experience and was also a judge under the former regime. He was presiding in the trial in which Saddam and six of his colleagues are accused of spearheading a military campaign in Anfal in 1987-1988 against the Kurds that killed 182,000 people.
He had come under fire from Kurdish and Shiite groups for making his controversial statement during a friendly exchange with the former Iraqi strongman at a hearing on September 14.
Ameri had told Saddam, "You were not a dictator," and suggested it was those close to him who made him look like one. Saddam then thanked the judge.
This has angered the country's Shiite and Kurdish communities.
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