BAGHDAD: The trial of Saddam Hussein and seven others accused of crimes against humanity resumed in Baghdad on Tuesday.
More defence witnesses are expected to take the stand this time.
Eight witnesses, including two of Saddam's former interior ministers, took the stand on Monday, testifying for Saddam, his half-brother and former intelligence chief Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti and former chief judge Awad Hamed al-Bander.
During an argument on Tuesday between the Chief judge and defence lawyers, who were seeking to submit CD videos as evidence, Saddam Hussein insisted the defence in his trial should get as much time as the prosecution.
Chief judge Rouf Abdel-Rahman said he would not play the CDs in court right away, telling them they should submit a written request to include them as evidence and chiding them for still trying to add more witnesses to the list of those to testify.
Saddam interjected that Abdel-Rahman should give the defence as much time as the prosecution, which presented its case in the first five months of the trial, which began in October.
"I would insist not come here if I did not respect the judicial system," Saddam told the judge.
"My respect for the judicial system is the reason behind accepting my colleagues to defend me and to present my case before Iraqis and public opinion," he added.
"The prosecution presented all his witness one by one. We have nothing here just talking but when the talk is forbidden then we enter an imbalance," he said. "To attain balance we have to give the same opportunity to the defence witnesses."
The defence, which did not say what was on the CDs, has been presenting its case for the past month in the trial of Saddam and seven former members of his regime.
Saddam and his seven co-defendants are accused of a crackdown that led to the execution of 148 Shiaite men and teenagers from the town of Dujail following a failed assassination bid against him there in 1982.
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