The Post-Dujail Trials Before the Iraqi High Tribunal

By Michael Scharf

On December 4, 2008, Salem Chalibi and I led a discussion (moderated by Elizabeth Wilmshurst) at Chatham House in London about the post-Dujail trials before the Iraqi High Tribunal. There have been five trials in all, three of which have concluded. After Saddam’s execution, the international media stopped covering the trials, so that few people are aware that without Saddam as a defendant, the subsequent trials were conducted much more efficiently, without the chaos and theatrics that marked the earlier proceedings. Nor have there been any more assassinations of trial participants or allegations of government attempts to remove judges or otherwise influence the proceedings. Meanwhile, the subsequent trials have established some important precedents, in particular regarding application of the crime of genocide. For the detailed summary of the Chatham House discussion of the subsequent trials, click on: http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/papers/view/-/id/692/.

Posted @ 5:24 PM | Experts Debate the Issues: The Dujail Trial | 207 Comments | 0 Trackbacks