2005: The Trial of Saddam Hussein Begins Over Crimes Against Humanity
Saddam Hussein, once the fifth president of Iraq, stood in the dock in Baghdad on this day in 2005 alongside seven co-defendants, charged with crimes against humanity before the newly formed Iraqi Special Tribunal. The man who had ruled Iraq for over two decades now faced judgement for the killings of civilians, a reversal few could have imagined just years earlier when he commanded absolute power.
The trial dragged on through outbursts, walkouts and the assassination of defence lawyers before Hussein was convicted. He was executed by hanging just over a year later, on 30 December 2006.
