[JURIST] Lawyer Thamer Hamoud al-Khuzaie, who represents two of Saddam Hussein's co-defendants, has fled Iraq and is seeking asylum in Qatar following an attempt on his life. The news was revealed in a letter, obtained by Reuters Monday, written by Khuzaie to Qatar's Emir Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani [profile]. "I ask your generous highness and all Arabic leaders to grant me humanitarian asylum with my family because danger is chasing us every minute," Khuzaie wrote to the Emir. The actions taken by Khuzaie come after Saddam's lawyers severed contact [JURIST report] with the Iraqi Special Tribunal [official website] last week in response to the murder of defense team member Adil al-Zubeidi [BBC report; TIME interview]. Khuzaie was wounded in the same attack. Reuters has more.

Previously in JURIST's Paper Chase…

• Iraqi government claims Saddam agents murdering defense lawyers to halt trial
• Iraqi tribunal could appoint new lawyers to Saddam defense team
• Saddam lawyers sever contact with Iraq court over latest lawyer murder
• ICC president says Hague has no jurisdiction over Hussein trial
• Saddam defense team asks UN to press for venue change
• Saddam lawyers announce court boycott over security demands
• Bush says Baghdad safe for Saddam trial
• Iraqi government promises heightened security for Saddam trial lawyers
• Saddam defense team demands delay or foreign trial venue after lawyer murder