Judge, lawyer on Iraq war
crimes tribunal killed

updated 9:36 a.m. ET March 2, 2005

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Gunmen killed a judge and lawyer working for the special tribunal that will try Saddam Hussein and members of his former regime, the first court staff killed since it was set up in late 2003 after the dictator was toppled, officials and a relative of the slain men said Wednesday.

Judge Barwez Mohammed Mahmoud al-Merwani and his son, lawyer Aryan Barwez al-Merwani, were shot and killed Tuesday in Baghdad’s northern Azamyiah district, said the slain judge’s son, Kikawz Barwez Mohammed al-Merwani.

The son said unidentified gunmen in a speeding car raked the pair with gunfire as they were trying to get into a vehicle outside their home.

News of the deaths came as two car bombs exploded in the capital, killing 10 Iraqi soldiers and wounding dozens of others

The killings came one day after the court issued referrals for five former regime members — including one of Saddam’s half brothers — for crimes against humanity. Referrals are similar to indictments, and are the final step before trials can start.

Murder personally or politically motivated?
However, a tribunal official, who asked not to be named, said the judge was not killed because of his job.

“He was not killed because he was working at the tribunal,” he said. “It was something personal. I don’t have details, but investigations are still going on.”

The judge’s surviving son disagreed, saying the two were assassinated either because they worked for the court, or because they were minority Kurds.

“We believe that the murder is politically motivated, because the two killed were working in the special tribunal and the son was a senior member in the PUK office in Baghdad. The late judge had no personal problems with anybody at all,” said Kikawz Barwez Mohammed al-Merwani. “This is a terrorist act carried out by Baathists and terrorists.”

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan is one of two key northern Kurdish parties. U.S. authorities dissolved Saddam’s former ruling Baath party after ousting him from power.

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