Saddam Hussein and seven other men are currently accused of slaying more than 140 men in the town of Dujail, north of Baghdad, in 1982 after an unsuccessful assassination attempt against Hussein.

 The trial began Oct. 19 but has been postponed 40 days to give the defense more time to prepare.

On Nov. 28, after a five-week break, Hussein was the last of eight accused to enter the courtroom where he began complaining he had to walk up four flights of stairs because of a broken elevator and that guards had confiscated his pen and paper.

Most of the 40-day break has been dominated by security issues after one defense lawyer was murdered the day after the trial began and another early in November, blocking the proceedings of the trial. A third defense lawyer fled Iraq after death threats.

Former U.S. attorney, General Ramsey Clark, told CNN that he hoped to strengthen Hussein’s defense.

“Our plan is to go to court in Baghdad representing the defense counsel as defense support,” Clark said.

“A fair trial in this case is absolutely imperative for historical truth,” Clark said.

Adil al-Zubeidi was killed and his colleague Thamer Hamoud al-Khuzaie wounded when their car came under fire in the western Baghdad district of Hay al-Adil, police and defense team sources said.

Both were working for Hussein’s brother and his former vice president at the beginning of November.

“This happened in broad daylight in front of the U.S. occupation forces,” Hussein’s chief lawyer Khalil al-Dulaimi told Al Jazeera television.

“A group of armed men in government vehicles killed one of the most prominent lawyers in the defense team.... The U.S. and Iraqi governments have to take responsibility with regards to these barbaric attacks,” al-Dulaimi said.