Tuesday's session was to be the eighth since the trial for crimes against humanity began on 19 October. It would have ended a turbulent month's recess in which the chief judge resigned, complaining of government interference, and his initial successor was ruled out after accusations he had been a member of Saddam's Baath party.

Raouf Abdel Rahman, from Halabja where 5000 died in a gas attack during an offensive by Saddam's forces, was appointed on the eve of the resumption of hearings to take over the chair of the five-judge panel from fellow Kurd Rizgar Amin.