Saddam Hussein taken to hospital

July 23, 2006

Saddam Hussein has been rushed to hospital after being on hunger strike for more than two weeks, prosecutors at his trial in Baghdad have announced.

He and three co-defendants have refused to eat for sixteen days. They have been demanding more security  for their defence lawyers, three of whom have been murdered.

Saddam Hussein and seven co-defendants are on trial charged with crimes against humanity after Hussein allegedly ordered his special security and military forces to kill 148 people from the village of Dujail following an attempted assassination of the former Iraqi leader in 1982.

Chief prosecutor Jaafar al-Musawi has said the 68 year-old will not be well enough to appear before judges on Monday. "Saddam Hussein has just been admitted to hospital because of his hunger strike. A medical report has established that he cannot appear tomorrow, because his condition needs medical attention," he told AFP today.