Saddam Hussein executed

Saddam Hussein, the former president of Iraq, has been executed by hanging in Baghdad.

The execution took place at dawn on 30 December, the start of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha. Iraqi television later showed footage of the moments before his death.

The sentence

Saddam was sentenced to death in November by an Iraqi court for crimes against humanity. He was found guilty of ordering the killing of 148 men and boys from the town of Dujail, after an attempt on his life there in 1982.

His appeal was rejected earlier this week, and Iraq's prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, signed the order for the execution.

Saddam had been captured by American troops in December 2003, hiding in a hole near his home town of Tikrit.

Decades in power

Saddam ruled Iraq for more than two decades, from 1979 until he was overthrown by the American-led invasion in 2003. His rule was marked by brutal repression of opponents, a long war with Iran in the 1980s and the invasion of Kuwait in 1990, which led to the first Gulf War.

His regime was accused of killing hundreds of thousands of people, including Kurds attacked with chemical weapons at Halabja in 1988.

Reaction

Some Iraqis celebrated the news, particularly among Shia Muslims and Kurds who suffered under his rule. Others, particularly Sunni Muslims, condemned the execution.

The British government said it did not support the use of the death penalty, but that Saddam had been held to account for some of his crimes. The Foreign Secretary, Margaret Beckett, said he had been tried by an Iraqi court for crimes against the Iraqi people.

The European Union and human rights groups have criticised the execution, saying the death penalty is always wrong and that the trial was flawed.

Other trials

Saddam was also on trial for the Anfal campaign against the Kurds in the late 1980s. That trial will continue against his co-defendants.

A country in turmoil

The execution comes at a time of severe violence in Iraq, with bombings and sectarian killings claiming thousands of lives each month. There are fears it could inflame tensions further.

Around 7,000 British troops are serving in southern Iraq, based mainly around Basra.