Saddam prosecutor says appeals court likely to rule mid-January News
Saddam prosecutor says appeals court likely to rule mid-January

[JURIST] Jaafar Moussawai [JURIST news archive], chief prosecutor in the trial of Saddam Hussein [JURIST news archive] for crimes against humanity in Dujail, said Monday that an appeals panel would likely rule on his verdict and sentence in mid-January 2007, setting the stage for his possible execution in mid-February. His comments echoed some made Sunday by Iraqi High Tribunal chief investigative judge Raed Juhi, who indicated at a press conference shortly after the reading of the verdict that Hussein's execution might be delayed by the appeals process [JURIST report] until early 2007. Article 27 of the statute of the Iraqi High Tribunal [text, PDF] requires a sentence to be carried out within 30 days of the appeals judgment; Article 27 also precludes any authority, including the president of the Iraqi Republic, from pardoning or reducing the penalties issued by the Tribunal.

AP reported Monday that Iraq's three-person Presidency Council, composed of President Jalal Talabani [official website, in Arabic; JURIST news archive] and two vice-presidents has already agreed to sign a death warrant for Saddam if it is presented to them. Talabani has repeatedly said he is personally opposed to the death penalty and will not sign himself [JURIST report], but he has delegated his signing authority to the Shiite vice-president, who will join with his Kurdish counterpart to make the warrant legally binding for all three. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

38 Santee Sioux hanged by US for rebellion

On December 26, 1862, 38 Santee Sioux men were hanged in a mass execution for their roles in a rebellion against US authorities in Minnesota which left hundreds dead and made refugees of some 40,000 white settlers. Government annuities promised under a treaty with the Sioux had failed to arrive on schedule and credit for purchases was not advanced in the meantime, threatening the tribe with starvation. The Santee Sioux Tribe's members were deported first to South Dakota and ultimately to Nebraska, where they remain today. Learn more about the 1862 Minnesota Sioux Rebellion.

Louis XVI put on trial during French Revolution

On December 26, 1792, Romain de Sèze, a defense attorney for deposed King Louis XVI, presented a defense of his client. The former King was on trial before a French Revolutionary court on thirty-three charges, including treason and other crimes against the state. He was convicted on January 15, 1793 executed by guillotine on the following January 21.