The trial of the former leader Saddam Hussien and seven of his aides resumed in Baghdad on Sunday as a verdict in Saddam's first trial is expected to be passed on the same day.

Saddam and his former allies showed up in the dock and chief judge Rauf Abdel Rahman ordered that the hearing began.

Saddam and his seven co-accused have been charged with crimes against humanity for the killing of 148 Shiite villagers after a failed attempt assassination in the town of Dujail in 1982.

The defense team headed by Khalil al-Dulaimi attended the session while judge Rahman ejected former U.S. attorney general Ramsey Clark, who is part of an international defence team, from the court.

Prosecutors have asked for the death penalty against Saddam on the charges of crimes against humanity.

Iraq's Shiite Muslim Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said the former leader should be condemned to hang, adding he should get "what he deserves" for his alleged crimes.

Baghdad was in tight security because of the former leader's tiral.

Baghdad's international airport was closed as of 6 a.m. (0300 GMT) on Sunday, while a curfew was imposed in the capital and two neighboring provinces Diyala and Salahuddin from 6 a.m..