Amman, Jordan ? Iraqi attorneys defending Saddam Hussein said Wednesday they had suspended further dealings with the Special Tribunal trying him until their safety is guaranteed, citing the kidnapping and murder of an attorney representing one of the former dictator’s co-defendants last week.

A statement signed by Khalil al-Dulaimi, who leads the former dictator’s defense team, said poor security put the attorneys and their families in danger.

One of Saddam’s attorneys, Khamees Hamid al-Ubaidi, said last week that the entire defense team had rejected an offer of guards from the Interior Ministry, pointing to frequent Sunni Arab accusations that ministry forces or Shiite militias linked to the government have killed members of the minority that was dominant under Saddam.

But the defense team statement said Wednesday that it would seek United Nations protection for the Iraqi lawyers because they do not trust the U.S. military or the Iraqi government.