[JURIST] Saddam Hussein [JURIST news archive] appeared in court Wednesday, despite an earlier vow not to attend [JURIST report] future proceedings in his genocide trial, and looked on as presiding Judge Mohammed Oreibi al-Khalifa called a final witness for the prosecution. The prosecution has presented more that 70 witnesses, including several US forensic experts [JURIST report] describing mass graves believed to be the result of the 1987-88 "Anfal" campaigns [HRW backgrounder] against ethnic Kurds in Northern Iraq. Prosecutors will now begin presenting documents that allegedly link Hussein to the genocide.

In a separate trial, Hussein was convicted and sentenced to death [judgment; JURIST report] for crimes against humanity committed in the town of Dujail. Hussein's defense team formally appealed [JURIST report] that judgment Sunday. AP has more.