Iraq ? Lawyers for Saddam Hussein on Sunday formally appealed the death sentence handed down against the former president last month by an Iraqi court.

Saddam and two senior members of his regime were sentenced to hang for the killing of 148 Shiites in retaliation for a 1982 attempt on his life in the town of Dujail, north of the capital.

Under Iraqi law, a nine-judge appellate panel automatically reviews all death sentences, but defense lawyers must submit detailed arguments within 30 days of their passage. Raid Juhi, spokesman for the tribunal, confirmed formal appeals had been lodged on behalf of Saddam.

The panel can take as long as it wants to review the verdicts and sentences. But chief prosecutor Jaafar Mousawi, who dueled with Saddam during months of courtroom confrontations, predicted it would complete the process in little over a month. If the sentence is upheld, it must be carried out within 30 days.