Baghdad: The trial of Saddam Hussain on charges of crimes against humanity was postponed on Thursday until February 13, a witness in the court said.

Saddam had failed to show up for a second day after his defence team said they would not return to court unless the new chief judge resigned.

The former Iraqi leader's seven co-accused were also not present.

Chief judge Rauf Rashid Abdul Rahman adjourned the trial to allow more witnesses to appear in court after two testified on Thursday.

One witness told the court that Barzan Ibrahim, the No. 2 defendant in the trial after Saddam, tortured him in prison, putting out a cigarette on his head.

Saddam and his co-defendants are on trial for the killing of 148 men from the Shi'ite town of Dujail after a bid to assassinate him there in 1982.

When the trial resumed on Thursday, the former Iraqi leader failed to show up for a second day after his defence team said they would not return to court unless the new chief judge resigns.

His seven co-accused were also not present but chief judge Raouf Abdul Rahman carried on with the trial.

"Because of the insistence of Saddam Hussain, Barzan Al Tikriti, Taha Yassin Ramadan and Awad Al Bandar not to attend, the court has decided not to call them for this session and to review their opposition," said Abdul Rahman.

"The rest were present but were causing chaos," he added at the start of the session - which started more than an 90 minutes late - referring to Saddam's co-defendants who are minor Baath party officials.

With the eight defendant chairs empty in a pen in front of the bench, Abdul Rahman ordered the proceedings to continue and the court began hearing the day's first witness.