Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki hopes Saddam Hussein will 'get what he deserves', senior aides said on Saturday on the eve of the verdict in the ousted leader's trial for crimes against humanity.
If Saddam is found guilty on Sunday of ordering the unlawful killing of 148 Shiite villagers, he will face the death penalty.
"The prime minister hopes the dictator gets what he deserves," Maliki's political adviser Hussein al-Senaid told AFP. "The prime minister hopes that the sentence will be fair and according to the law."
However, he added: "The Iraqi justice system is independent."
Another Maliki aide, Bassam Ridha, said: "It looks like there is a strong case against Saddam."
"Of course as part of the Iraqi government, we hope that he gets the maximum penalty for the crimes committed by him on the people of Iraq. We are looking forward to this historic moment. Iraq deserves justice," he added.
Saddam stands accused of ordering the deaths of men in the Shiite village of Dujail in revenge for a failed assassination attempt by members of Maliki's Dawa Party in 1982.
Although subject to appeal, Sunday's verdict is seen as the prime minister's chance to finally finish off his old foe.