Hussein was officially convicted of crimes against humanity and sentenced to death, his last words coming amidst a series of taunts from those around him.
Saddam Hussein was leader for more than 20 years (Image: AP)
For over two decades, Saddam Hussein firmly established his rule over Iraq.
He controlled the Middle Eastern nation through fear, brutality, and control, crushing anyone who opposed him.
Yet, in 2006, following the US-led invasion of the country, his regime collapsed, and in the early hours of 30 December 2006, the man who had once commanded the army stood beneath the hangman’s noose, awaiting execution.
Hussein was officially indicted for crimes against humanity related to the 1982 massacre in Dujail, in which 148 Shia men and boys were brutally killed following an assassination attempt. After a lengthy and controversial trial before the Iraqi Special Tribunal, he was sentenced to death.
Saddam had requested execution by firing squad, arguing that it was appropriate military punishment for a former commander-in-chief, but the court refused.
Hussein lived a life of luxury while ruling Iraq (Image: Sigma via Getty Images)
Hours before his death at Camp Justice in Baghdad, the former dictator ate a final meal of chicken and rice with hot water and honey. When he was taken to the execution chamber shortly before dawn on the first day of Eid al-Adha, he took the Quran with him.
Witnesses inside the room later described a tense and chaotic atmosphere. While some officials remained silent, others jeered as Saddam stood on the gallows, with a rope hanging above him, and chants praising Islamic cleric Muqtada al-Sadr echoed.
Despite being constantly taunted throughout the process, attendees said he appeared calm.
When asked if he felt afraid or regretful, he reportedly replied that he had no fear. Instead, he said he spent his life fighting aggression.
As the noose tightened around Saddam’s neck, he began reciting the Shahadah, the Islamic declaration of faith. He raised his voice on the noise in the chamber.
Hussein was captured during the US invasion of Iraq. (Image: AFP/Getty Images)
Then came his last six words.
“The Muslim Ummah will be victorious.”
Before he could say anything else, the trapdoor opened and a loud sound was heard as he fell. He was declared dead a few minutes later.
While the official Iraqi government video showed him only moments before his execution, being cut off before falling, a grainy mobile phone recording, secretly filmed from the chamber, later surfaced online.
The footage captured the entire execution, the communal taunts and Hussain’s final defiant exchange, sparking international outrage and debate over the dignity of execution.
Within a few hours, his body was flown by helicopter to his birthplace, al-Awja, near Tikrit, where he was buried in front of his two sons.
