Saddam Hussein's trial for the killing of 180,000 Kurds in the 1980s resumed today nine days after the late dictator went to the gallows.
The court's first order of business was to drop all charges against Saddam.
Six co-defendants still face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity stemming from a military campaign code-named Operation Anfal during the 1980-88 Iraq-Iran war.
Shortly after the court reconvened, a bailiff called out the names of the accused and the six men walked silently into the courtroom one after another.
Chief Judge Mohammed Oreibi al-Khalifa said the court decided to stop all legal action against the former president, since "the death of defendant Saddam was confirmed".
All seven defendants in the Anfal case, including Saddam, had pleaded innocent to charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Saddam and one other man also pleaded innocent to the additional charge of genocide.
Saddam was sentenced to death for the killing of 148 Shias and hanged on December 30th in a chaotic execution that has drawn global criticism for the Shia-dominated government. An illicit video from inside the former leader's execution chamber showed him being taunted on the gallows.
Human Rights Watch said Saddam's speedy execution illustrated the Iraqi government's disregard for human rights, and urged Iraqi officials to halt two upcoming hangings.
Saddam's half brother and former intelligence chief, Barzan Ibrahim, and former head of Iraq's Revolutionary Court, Awad Hamed al-Bandar, were sentenced to death after being convicted along with Saddam of involvement in the killings in the town of Dujail after a 1982 assassination attempt there against Saddam.
Their executions were postponed until after the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, which ended six days ago.
They are expected to be executed in the coming days.