For Immediate Release
December 19, 2003

Global Message

From a Coalition Provisional Authority press briefing, 12/18/03

"Those who died in Saddam's wars and the victims of his torture who ended up in mass graves or were subjected to chemical weapons carnage, and those displaced by his policies, now cry out for justice to be restored." --Iraqi Governing Council statement, 12/17/03

About 100 Iraqi judges, lawyers, prosecutors and legal professors completed a two-week advanced legal training course in Baghdad on Thursday. The program was organized by the Coalition Provisional Authority at the request of the Iraqi Governing Council. The Council chose the participants.

The seminar was designed to assist Iraqi jurists in the investigation and prosecution of alleged crimes committed by Iraq's former regime over the last 35 years.

Seminar participants focused on the application of international legal standards to the investigation and prosecution of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

Faculty and legal experts from Iraq, Great Britain, Australia, Spain and the United States led seminar discussions.

The discussions covered topics such as international standards for the protection of defendants, establishing proof of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, and witness, victim and court protection.

The participants also examined and discussed the recently enacted statute creating the Iraqi special tribunal to try key Iraqis accused of committing atrocities in Iraq between 1968 and 2003.