US court rejects effort to stay Saddam death sentence News
US court rejects effort to stay Saddam death sentence

[JURIST] A US District Court judge has refused to entertain a motion to stay the execution of Saddam Hussein [JURIST news archive] that was filed by Italian advocate Giovanni di Stefano [law firm website; Wikipedia profile], an advisor to Hussein's defense team. US District Judge Emmet Sullivan rejected the motion because di Stefano is not admitted to practice before the US District Court for the District of Columbia where he filed the motion. It is unclear what actions a US District Court could take to intervene in the case.

Hussein is appealing his conviction and death sentence [JURIST report] resulting from a trial on charges of crimes against humanity [judgment] committed in the town of Dujail. Hussein is also currently on trial facing genocide charges [JURIST news archive] for the "Anfal" campaigns [HRW backgrounder] against ethnic Kurds in northern Iraq between 1987 and 1988. AP has more.