Man attacks Saddam in court - defence team

AMMAN - Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was attacked by an unidentified man during his appearance at a court hearing in Baghdad on Thursday, his defence team said on Saturday.

The team, which has an office in the Jordanian capital Amman, said in a statement that the man attacked Saddam and the two exchanged blows during a hearing attended by defence lawyer Khalil Dulaimi.

"As the president stood to leave the courtroom one of those present attacked him and there was an exchange of blows between the man and the president," the statement said.

The head of the tribunal did nothing to stop the assault, the statement alleged.

It did not say if Saddam was hurt.

The Iraqi Special Tribunal trying Saddam on Friday released photographs of the toppled leader being questioned on the suppression of Kurdish and Shi'ite uprisings in 1991.

The photographs were taken during a hearing in Baghdad on Thursday, the tribunal said.

Saddam has been formally charged with the killings of Shi'ite Muslims in the village of Dujail in 1982 but no date has been set for his trial.

- REUTERS