Saddam Trials 'flawed' - Not Fair

• Standard Used is NOT "beyond a reasonable doubt"
• Confessions from Torture are Admissible

The Iraqi tribunal set up to try Saddam Hussein and top figures in his regime risks delivering trials that are widely discredited, Human Rights Watch says. The New York-based group said flaws in the tribunal's statute raise concerns about the prospect of fair trials. It could be a "wasted opportunity to put Saddam and his henchmen on trial in a manner that has credibility in the eyes of the world", the group said. Defence lawyers say their clients will not recognise the court's legitimacy. Human Rights Watch is concerned that the special tribunals used by the Iraqi government are not bound by rules forbidding the use of confessions extracted under torture. It is also worried that guilt does not have to be proven beyond reasonable doubt. The group also says that judges and prosecutors lack experience in trying cases of genocide. The organisation says the prospect of the death penalty for defendants precludes the United Nations from providing support. [more]