Iran in Tehran yesterday described former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein as a criminal who deserved to die, urging for the death sentence on him to be carried out.

"We want the correct, fair and legal verdict against this criminal (Saddam)... could be enforced," Iran's government spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham told a news conference.

"There's no doubt that he (Saddam) is a criminal dictator, we hope no pressures will be made to pullback this verdict," said Elham.

The spokesman also refuted suggestions that the execution of Saddam may exacerbate the violent conflict between Iraq's Shiite and Sunni communities.

Iran wanted the former Iraqi leader would get further trials for other alleged crimes against humanity, including his waging war against Iran in 1980-1988, Elham added.

He stressed that "I think it's quite clear such kind of suggestion is mischief-making, Saddam has both Shiite and Sunni blood on his hands, his very existence is anti-human."

Earlier on Sunday, Saddam and two of his senior aids were sentenced to death by hanging after the Iraqi High Tribunal found them guilty of crimes against humanity over the execution of 148 Shiite villagers of Dujail in crackdown on the town after a failed assassination attempt against Saddam in 1982.

On the same day that Saddam was sentenced to death, Iran's state-run television stopped its regular program and announced "a court in Iraq sentenced Saddam, the fallen dictator, to death".