Awad Hamed al-Bandar

Awad Hamad al-Bandar ( _ar. عواد حمد بندر السعدون; aka: Awad Hamad Bandar Alsa'doon) (January 2, 1945 - January 15, 2007) was an Iraqi chief judge under Saddam Hussein's presidency. He was the head of the Revolutionary Court which issued death sentences against 143 Dujail residents, in the aftermath of the failed assassination attempt on the president on July 8 1982 (a year before the U.S. assumed diplomatic ties with Hussein to help thwart their common enemy: Iran). At the Al-Dujail trial the Iraqi Special Tribunal tried Awad for crimes against humanity for issuing the death sentences. On November 5, 2006, Awad was sentenced to death by hanging along with co-defendants Saddam Hussein and Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, who was beheaded as a result of the hanging [cite news |author=Jomana Karadsheh |title=Dujail case: Saddam gets death |url=http://www.ibnlive.com/news/saddam-sentenced-to-death-by-hanging/25459-2.html |work=IBNLive.com |date=2006-11-05 |accessdate=2007-01-16]

Execution

The sentence was widely expected to be carried out on December 30, 2006, shortly before 6:00 AM Iraqi local time. Saddam was indeed hanged at 6:05 AM Iraqi local time (0305 UTC). Initially, Barzan and Awad were also believed to have been hanged with him. [cite news |title=Saddam Hussein Executed by Hanging in Iraq |url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,240057,00.html |work=FOXNews.com |date=2006-12-29 |accessdate=2007-01-16] A few hours later, official statements clarified that the executions of Awad and his remaining co-defendant had been postponed to give special significance to the day that Saddam was executed. [cite news |title= Hussein executed with 'fear in his face' |url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/12/29/hussein/index.html |work=CNN.com |date=2006-12-30 |accessdate=2007-01-16] The United States claimed that they did not have the logistics (helicopters) to fly the remaining two to the place of execution; the Iraqi government later said that they did not have time.

On January 3, 2007, an Iraqi government official told the Associated Press that preparations were under way to hang Saddam's half-brother Barzan Ibrahim, a former intelligence chief, and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, the former chief justice of the Revolutionary Court on Thursday January 4, 2007. [cite news |title= Reports: Hussein's co-defendants to be hanged Thursday |url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/01/03/iraq.executions.ap/index.html |work=CNN.com |date=2007-01-03 |accessdate=2007-01-16] Both were hanged before dawn on January 15, 2007. [cite news |title= Report: Hussein's half-brother, other co-defendant hanged |url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/01/14/iraq.executions.ap/index.html |work=CNN.com |date=2007-01-15 |accessdate=2007-01-16] They were pronounced dead at 3:05 AM (0005 UTC). Bandar's legal counsel was not allowed to attend. Saddam and his cousin al-Tikriti were also not allowed to have their lawyer present when they were executed.

Awad Hamed's defence counsel comprised:

* Bader Awad Hamed Alsa’doon (Lead)
* Saadoun Sughaiyer al-Janabi (also: Sa’doon al-Janabi) - assassinated on 20 October 2005.

References

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External links

* [http://www.iraqispecialtribunal.org/en/press/photo/awad001.htm Press photo from the Iraqi Tribunal]
* [http://wap.oa.yahoo.com/raw?dp=rssnews&u=ap/20070116/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq&rn=iraq Over 100 Iraqis killed, 5 u.s. Soldiers die, the day of execution, insurgents' revenge]