BAGHDAD: Saddam Hussein and four co-accused refused to show up in court on Wednesday along with their defence team in protest against the new chief judge, plunging their trial deeper into chaos.

Raouf Abdel Rahman said he would go ahead without them and court-appointed lawyers replaced Saddam’s team in proceedings that have been dominated by the toppled Iraqi leader’s tirades.

“Despite my personal efforts with the defendants to have them present, they refused,” said chief prosecutor Jaafar al-Musawi, who urged the judge to force the defendants to attend.

The trial was adjourned until Thursday after testimony from five prosecution witnesses, all of whom spoke from behind a curtain to hide their identities.

“Inside the intelligence building they hung me by my feet from the ceiling and I was naked,” said one woman, who directly implicated Saddam’s half-brother Barzan al-Tikriti, his former head of intelligence.

“They beat me and used electric shock on me. Barzan hit me on the chest and broke my ribs and the marks are still clear.”—AFP