BAGHDAD, July 27: Iraqi judges will give their verdict in ousted president Saddam Hussein’s trial on crimes against humanity charges on Oct 16, court officials said on Thursday as the trial came to a close.

The chief judge adjourned the case to allow the bench to consider its verdict.

“The trial will adjourn until Oct 16 to check over the files of this case,” said Judge Rauf Abdel Rahman, after a turbulent day of defence arguments in which one defendant had to be forced to sit down.

After the hearing, a US official close to the court said: “The verdict and the judgement will be on Oct 16.”

Saddam and seven co-defendants face the death penalty if found guilty of illegally ordering the killing of 148 civilians from the Shiite village of Dujail following a 1982 attempt on the then Iraqi leader’s life there.

On August 21, before the date set for the verdict in the Dujail case, Saddam is due to face a second trial on charges related to mass killings of Kurdish civilians during the Anfal campaign of the early 1980s.—AFP