Baghdad, Iraq ? Mounting political pressure to speed up the trial of Saddam Hussein threatens the independence of the Iraqi special court trying the case, international observers warned Tuesday, a day after a brief second session.

A U.S. official close to the tribunal said the court planned to streamline procedures when it reconvenes next week, including steps to prevent defense lawyers from using stalling tactics to delay the proceedings.

The deposed leader and seven co-defendants are charged with ordering the killing of more than 140 people from the mainly Shiite Muslim town of Dujail after an attempt on Saddam’s life there in 1982. If convicted, they face the death penalty.

After a 2 1/2 hour session, the tribunal adjourned until Monday, only 10 days before Iraq’s parliamentary elections, to give the defense time to replace two lawyers who were assassinated and one who fled the country after the trial opened Oct. 19.

The court needs to ensure legal maneuvers don’t slow the proceedings too much, the U.S. official told reporters on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case and concern for security.

From the outset, the Saddam trial looked certain to be weighed down by the divisions and violence of postwar Iraq.

Nehal Bhuta, a lawyer with Human Rights Watch, said that while Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari’s government has not intervened directly in the court’s proceedings, it has done little to create a climate for a fair trial and has not come to the court’s defense in the face of criticism.

“The danger is that its expressions of displeasure will affect the demeanor of the judges, who may eventually feel the heat,” he told The Associated Press.

Another observer at the trial, Miranda Sissons of the International Center for Transitional Justice, spoke of the difficulties encountered by the court in the face of political pressure and public expectations.

She said that was to be expected in a country where fairness and transparency in the court system have been missing for decades.

“The Iraqi people don’t know what to expect from the court and seem to want justice done in a matter of hours,” she said. “That’s why it’s essential for the people of Iraq to understand the work of the court. You cannot expect them to support the court if the court doesn’t make a deliberate effort to inform them.”