The BBC World Channel is beamed into my room on campus. Yesterday they playing the first day of Saddam Hussein’s first trial live to air (or at least minimally delayed) in full. As in real time. As in, if Saddam had picked his nose we’d have seen the knuckle disappearing. As in when the lawyer shuffled his papers, we saw. The footage was of Hussein and seven of his cohorts sitting in what look like sheep pens, sitting, and listening. Over the top was the occasional interpretation of the lawyers’ speeches. There were many words spoken in Arabic and then a very short translated English, leading to long gaps between the English translations. From the faces of the accused I think boredom is part of their punishment, though a limited torture compared to the crimes they’re charged with.
The prosecutor began reading a long list of crimes committed by the regime before the defence attorney objected that the trial was only about the Dujail massacre. There were wild gesticulations, shouting, and a sleepy looking judge giving a ruling. As the Dujail incident was retold in detail there was nearly no reaction from the eight accused, until one of them buried his head in his hands. Was it remorse? Was it fatigue? Boredom? Was it wishing he hadn’t got caught?
I find it amazing that such a historic, boring event was presented in full live to air. The elements of transparency and fairness in the judicial system have to be ensured. Its being played live on Iraqi television too and I wonder how it’s being received there.
I made it through 15 minutes of the historic event before exercising my freedom.
(ACCUSED) MONSTERS: 8
NOSES PICKED: NONE…YET.
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