Gunman kills brother of Saddam's prosecutor

BAGHDAD - A gunman shot dead the brother of the chief prosecutor in Saddam Hussein's trial for genocide against ethnic Kurds in his Baghdad home today, prosecutor Munqith al-Faroon told Reuters.

Faroon said the gunman had entered the house and killed his brother. He did not know if the killing was related to his involvement in the Anfal case, which is due to resume tomorrow.

Gunmen killed the brother-in-law of the chief judge in the Anfal trial, Mohammed al-Ureybi, 10 days after he was named to take over the court following the government's sacking of the previous judge for saying Saddam was not a dictator.

Three defence lawyers have been killed in a separate trial against Saddam for the killing of Shi'ite villagers.

Some international legal groups have said violence between Saddam's fellow minority Sunnis and majority Shi'ites, and an unrelenting Sunni rebellion, makes a fair trial impossible.

- REUTERS