Since the establishment of the Iraqi Special Tribunal in December 2003 to try Saddam Hussein and his government's top leaders, the safety of the judges and the prosecutors in charge has been a primary concern. On the evening of October 20, a defense lawyer was the first victim of the trial underway. Saadoun Sughaiyer al-Janabi, lawyer for Awad Hamed al-Bandar, a former judge at the revolutionary court and one of Saddam Hussein's 7 codefendants, was assassinated. The day before, he had stood alongside the 12 other defense lawyers during the official opening of Saddam's trial. After the defendants had all pleaded not guilty, the trial was adjourned until November 28.