Almotamar.net - SANAA- Legal scholars and politicians in Yemen are unanimous on nullity and illegality of the death sentence against the Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, confirmed the day before yesterday by the Cassation Body at the Criminal Court, describing procedures of Saddam prosecution as farce and violating the simplest international legal criteria.

Chairman of Yemeni lawyers said the verdict of Saddam Hussein execution is shameful political decision and violating international legal criteria. Mr. Abdulfatah al-Baseer indicated that Saddam prosecution is illegal "because occupier Bremer's law is not authority on the court as the occupier is the one who drafted the law." He added "therefore the head of the Iraqi state is not permitted to pardon Saddam." He said the trial of Saddam is political in the full sense of the word and has not the least of international legal criteria. Chairman of the Yemeni lawyers appealed to Arab international legal organizations to denounce this null and void sentence.

On his part the deputy secretary of the Arab Baath Socialist Party in Yemen Abdulwahid Hawash said the political decision of Saddam execution was expected since the beginning of the invasion and the issuance of the law of prosecuting President Saddam Hussein prepared by the commissioner Bremer appointed by the United States. He pointed out that the law was issued at the basis of execution Saddam and not prosecuting him because the trial is null in essence as the president is a prisoner of war in addition to his being a president of a republic immune against any trial of this type. The Yemeni politician Hawash added that his trial under occupation is a violation of all international laws and norms that prohibit the creation of laws or making any significant amendments in the occupied country. He cited testimonies by international legal institutions that considered the trial as illegal and illegitimate, deeming the verdict of Saddam execution as a decision of liquidation rather than trial and supposing that the Arab countries and regimes should act to stop what he described as a bad action violating all international norms. He said the decision is an insult against the Arab heads of state and regimes before being directed to President Saddam Hussein.

Professor of political sciences at Sana'a University Dr Ahmed Al-Kibsi considered the verdict as not operative and no more than a political procedure because there is no independent judiciary in Iraq which is under the foreign occupation. He said the verdict contradicts the ongoing national; reconciliation negotiations in Iraq.

Lawyer Mohammed Hizam Hassan condemned and denounced what has been issued by the so-called Supreme Criminal Court, describing it as farce prepared by the Americans and their agents, according to his expression.

Dr Ahmed al-Saedi, professor of modern history at the Sana'a University views the verdict against Saddam Hussein as illegal and illegitimate. Deeming the trial procedures as farce, no more.

The decision of Saddam execution was issued by the criminal court on the 5th of last November as a result of trying him in the case of Dujail that resulted in the death of 148 Iraqi persons, as the court claimed at the backdrop of attempted assassination against president Saddam Hussein in 1982 during his visit to the town during the Iraq-Iran war.