The Hindu : International : Saddam trial: women give torture details

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 07, 2005

International

International

Saddam trial: women give torture details

Atul Aneja

Former President asks witness for details

DUBAI: A woman witness who appeared in the court trying eight persons including the former Iraqi President, Saddam Hussein, has given graphic details of torture by security forces but was unable to blame any of the defendants specifically.

The woman who gave her testimony in connection with the alleged killing of 148 Shias from Dujail after an attempt to kill Mr. Hussein failed, said she was detained when she was a teenager.

Identity concealed

Concealing her identity by speaking into a computerised voice modifier positioned behind a curtain, the witness said that she had been dumped into a small red cell before being taken to the Abu Ghraib jail. "The light was red. It was all red. I had a girl with me — Laila Jassim. We put shoes down as pillows, and then the door was locked. From a small window, they gave us two loaves of bread. After all that torture, do you think we could eat?"

She alleged that during her interrogation in Dujail, a security agent forced her to take-off her clothes.

"He raised my legs up and tied up my hands. He continued administering electric shocks and beating me," she said.

Apart from Abu Ghraib jail, the witness said she had been moved from one jail to another for a period of four years.

Asked by the judge whether she could specifically accuse any of the defendants, the woman simply said Mr. Hussein was responsible for her ordeal as he was ruling the country.

A second woman witness who also made an appearance said Mr. Hussein's men had taken her away along with her husband, five daughters and two sons.

The defendants later in the day had a chance to cross-examine the witnesses.

Mr. Hussein himself rose to ask specific details from one of the witnesses about the physical appearance of individuals who were involved in the alleged abuse.

At one point, he addressed the chief judge directly and asked him why had he not asked the defendants whether they had been tortured in custody.

Earlier in the day, the former President entered the courtroom and addressed his co-defendants by saying: "Good morning to all those who respect the law."

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