Breaking: Hussein's lawyers ask US court to stop execution

Breaking: Hussein's lawyers ask US court to stop execution
29 Dec 2006

Lawyers for former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, who could be hanged within hours, on Friday asked a U.S. court to order a halt to his execution. In a last-minute filing to the U.S. District Court of Washington, Hussein's lawyers asked for a temporary stay of execution because Hussein is a defendant in a civil case in the same court and he has been prevented from being able to defend himself.

"The time has been agreed upon. It will be done by six o'clock in the morning." Hussein 'to be executed before 3am' 29 Dec 2006 Saddam Hussein will be executed before 6am Saturday Baghdad time (3am Irish Time), a senior Iraqi government official said tonight. The time was agreed upon during a meeting between US and Iraqi officials, said the official, who declined to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media.