CNN is covering the verdicts in this trial live (it's now 3:45 am ET).
Baghdad and area is in a complete security lockdown. Even pedestrians are banned from being on the streets due to fears of violence in reaction to the verdicts. The Baghdad airport has been closed.
Defence attorney Ramsey Clark was ejected from the courtroom by 5 guards.
Charges against Mohammed Azawi Ali, a local Baath party official, were dropped and he was cleared.
3 co-defendants have received 15 years in jail - guilty of murder and torture.
more to come...
One defendant, Awad Hamad al-Bandar who is a former judge has been sentenced to death by hanging.
The former vice-president Taha Yassin Ramadan
Saddam's half-brother Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti was sentenced to death.
An automatic appeal process starts for Saddam and the others sentenced to death and life begins within 10 days and basically consists of a review of the trial documents. As soon as the appeals are exhausted, the sentences are meted out within 30 days.
Reuters has initial coverage of the verdicts.
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