Iraq judge who presided over Saddam’s trial dies of COVID-19

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s top judicial council says a retired judge who presided over the trial of the late dictator Saddam Hussein has died after battling the coronavirus. The council said in a statement on Friday that 52-year-old  Judge Mohammed Oreibi passed away in a hospital in Baghdad where he was being treated of complications from the coronavirus.  Oreibi shot to fame after he took over as the lead judge in Saddam’s genocide trial that also included Saddam’s cousin Ali Hassan al-Majid known as Chemical Ali and five other defendants. Oreibi was firm and tolerated very little disruption from Saddam and his co-defendants in the courtroom.