The chair of Saddam Hussein remains empty, as his co-defendants, Mohammed Azawi Ali, Abdullah Kazim Ruwayyid, Ali Dayim Ali, appear for their trial held under tight security, Feb. 1, 2006

The trial of Saddam Hussein is to resume Monday, but it remains unclear if the former Iraqi leader and his seven co-defendants will appear in court.

Saddam, his co-defendants and his defense team boycotted the last session of the trial, saying they would not return until the new chief judge is replaced. They say the judge, Rauf Abdel Rahman, is biased against the defendants.

Saddam's legal team also said they were wrong in earlier reporting that he planned to go on a hunger strike to protest his trial. They now say no hunger strike is planned.

The former Iraqi dictator and his co-defendants are on trial for the killing of more than 140 Shi'ites, in the village of Dujail, following a 1982 assassination attempt against Saddam.