(no subject)

[mrph]

Human Rights Watch - Saddam trial 'flawed and unsound'

Important documents were not given to defence lawyers in advance, no written transcript was kept and paperwork was lost

Not good. I'm not going to suggest that he's actually innocent, or that he should be released - but it still needed to be a fair trial.

Comments

[hex61.livejournal.com]

Given a brand new court system, the massive interference of attorneys from Europe, the turn over of judges due to violence, and the extensive nature of the testimony - I think these complaints are very minor.

In fact, it strikes me that the original and continuing defence has always been structured on looking for technicalities because the evidence and testimony is so damning.

I'm not sure what Human Rights Watch sets their standards based on, but it was probably the fairest and most thoroughly vetted trial in Iraq in the past 25 years.

[mrph.livejournal.com]

it was probably the fairest and most thoroughly vetted trial in Iraq in the past 25 years

Yes, it probably was. But still... no transcript? That's pretty basic, surely?