The lawyer, Khalil Dulaimi, did not say how the men threatened him or identify them, but he said he knows them.

“I know them well, but I will not give their names,” Dulaimi said in Jordan after arriving at Amman’s international airport.

“Airport authorities refused to allow them to embark on the same plane.”

Clark, who is participating in Saddam’s defence team in the ousted Iraqi leader’s trial on mass murder charges, said, “There were three people that threatened him directly and they were planning to board the plane ... The security people removed them.”

Clark said other lawyers also received threats in the Baghdad courtroom during the three sessions of Saddam’s trial that were held this week.

“There were threats even at the court, on the balcony, there were three people making threats during the trial. I didn’t personally receive any threat, or see anyone follow me.”

During this week’s proceedings, the judge ordered the removal of one man from the visitors’ balcony for making threatening gestures toward the defence.