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Saddam sentenced to death

Updated on 05 November 2006

By Channel 4 News

Saddam Hussein was sentenced to death by hanging in a Baghdad court this morning.


Former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein yells in court as he receives the verdict. Credit: Reuters

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The ex-president, who was deposed in the US-led invasion three years ago, was convicted of crimes against humanity by a court in Baghdad.

The charges relate to the killing of 148 Shias in the village of Dujail in 1982.

Saddam's trial heard that he ordered the slaughter in revenge for an assassination attempt.

Sectarian tensions have been running high in Iraq in the run-up to today's hearing, with a major security clampdown in force.

A 12-hour curfew imposed in Baghdad and three other provinces - including Salahuddin, which contains Saddam's home town of Tikrit.

The reaction in Iraq to the news will be watched closely around the world including in the US where mid-term elections are just two days away.

Related links
Q&A: Saddam's death sentence
Saddam in court
Saddam in court: pictures

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