Saddam Hussein executed in Iraq

Saddam Hussein, who ruled Iraq for over two decades, was executed by hanging on December 30, 2006, after being found guilty of crimes against humanity by the Iraq — Supreme Iraqi Criminal Tribunal. The charges stemmed from the 1982 Dujail massacre, where 148 Shi'ite men and boys were murdered. His regime had collapsed earlier in 2006 following a US-led invasion of Iraq. Despite his request for execution by firing squad, the court denied it. Witnesses described a tense and chaotic atmosphere during the execution, with some officials taunting Saddam Hussein and chants praising Muqtada al-Sadr. A secretly filmed mobile phone recording of the execution, showing sectarian abuse and Saddam Hussein's final defiant words, later surfaced online, sparking international condemnation. His body was subsequently transported to his birthplace of Al-Awja near Tikrit for burial.