Iraqi Bar Association
In October 2005, in his role as a "senior official" in the Iraqi Bar Association, al-Saadi criticised the assassination of Saadoun Sughaiyer al-Janabi, a lawyer participating in the defence of one of Saddam Hussein's co-accused, stating "This will have grave repercussions. This will hinder lawyers from defending those held for political reasons."
In March 2006, in his role as chairman of the Iraqi Bar Association, al-Saadi criticised the Iraqi government's dismissal of the association's council, arguing that the council had been created as the result of "free and fair elections". He said that the association included members of "divergent political factions and groups" and should "remain a symbol of Iraq's unity" rather than being "politicized". He claimed that the association was one of the "few" organisations in Iraq that was defending "civil and political rights and the rule of law". On November 16, 2006, al-Saadi was elected as president of the association with about 70% of the votes. The De-Ba'athification Commission annulled his election on the grounds that he had previously been a member of the Baath Party.
Read more about this topic: Dheyaa Al-Saadi
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