"We have been on a hunger strike for three days," Saddam Hussein declared as he appeared in the courtroom.

The session, which ran for about three hours, heard testimony from three former regime officials. The first witness to take the stand was a former intelligence officer who testified from behind a curtain to protect his identity.

Saddam Hussein's half-brother and co-defendant Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti cross-examined the witness briefly, then launched into a largely uninterrupted speech for almost 30 minutes, denying any connection to the 1982 massacre of 148 people in Dujail.

The second witness was another intelligence official, Fadil Mohammed al-Azzawi. He complained that he was there against his will and could not offer any testimony.

The trial has been adjourned until 28 February.

CNN