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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The first trial in the prosecution of Saddam Hussein on charges of crimes against humanity is scheduled to begin Wednesday with a lesser-known case in which more than 140 Iraqis were killed.

The former dictator, along with seven of his followers, will answer questions about a 1982 massacre in the Sunni-Shiite town of Dujail, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Baghdad.

Saddam's attorney said Tuesday he will ask for a delay of at least three months to further prepare for the trial of the ousted Iraqi leader. (See video on the case against Saddam -- 2:35)

An Iraqi government official described the upcoming trial as the beginning of the nation's psychological healing.

The massacre of more than 140 people and a roundup of civilians in Dujail happened within hours of a Shiite political group's attempt to assassinate Saddam when he visited the town.

The landmark trial is set to take place just four days after Iraq's constitutional referendum.

Court officials are thought to have chosen to prosecute this case first because it is not as complex as the other charges brought against the former dictator.

Those charges involve the gassing to death of thousands of Kurds in 1988 in Halabja and the slaughter of thousands of Shiites during their uprising in 1991, after the U.S.-led Persian Gulf War.

'The disaster'

In the Dujail case, media reports piece together an account of what happened, an event often referred to as "al karitha," or the disaster.

After being greeted by enthusiastic villagers, militants from Dawa, a Shiite Arab political movement, or its followers, opened fire on Saddam and his party, reports said.

On the eve of the trial, new footage emerged of Saddam's visit to Dujail 23 years ago. (Full story)

The video -- obtained by CNN -- was shot by Saddam's personal cameraman. It shows a car carrying Saddam into the town of 75,000 people. Crowds run alongside his convoy and women later rush to kiss his hand.

Off camera a group of young men ambush Saddam's convoy, trying to kill him. Saddam escaped injury, and the video shows him questioning people in a calm but serious manner.

Saddam trial: What to expect

A five-person bench, including a presiding judge, will hear the trial beginning Wednesday at the Iraqi Special Tribunal inside Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone.

Saddam is expected to appear in court, accompanied by his attorney, Khalil Dulaimi, CNN has learned from a source close to the tribunal.

The seven other defendants also are expected to appear. They include Barzan Ibrahim al-Hassan, half-brother and adviser to Saddam; Taha Yassin Ramadan, former vice president; and Awad Hamad al-Bandar, chief judge of Iraq's Revolutionary Court at the time of the killings.

The source said statements are likely to be made before the court identifying them and describing the crimes of which they are accused.

Defense attorneys likely will seek greater access to court materials or lawyers, and they may make motions regarding legal aspects of the case, analysts say.

Dulaimi told CNN in a phone interview that during Wednesday's hearing, he plans to seek a continuance of at least three months because the majority of the defense attorneys are not sufficiently experienced in international law and in cases of this magnitude.

He also said he wasn't told about the start date for the trial until about three weeks ago. The short notice is in violation of the Iraqi Special Tribunal, Dulaimi said.

Iraqi, not Western, proceedings

The court proceedings, which will be conducted in Arabic, will not resemble U.S. trials.

"The judge takes a lot more control over the proceedings," the source close to the tribunal said. "You are not going to be picking a jury of 12 people and putting them in a box and having two attorneys battle things out."

Everything that occurs in court will be up to the presiding judge, who has the power to place strict controls on every aspect of the proceedings: who can speak and when, and which witnesses can be called.

Should a defendant be convicted and sentenced to death, the sentence could be carried out within 30 days after appeals are exhausted.

Whole world watching

The tribunal's chief investigative judge, Ra'id Juhi, said the trial will be open to the public and media, including cameras. It is to be broadcast around the globe with a tape-delay of about 20 minutes.

Family members will be in the courtroom. An area will be set aside for observers, which could include representatives of international organizations that have requested to attend or have been invited by the court.

A separate, overflow room will enable other interested parties to watch via closed-circuit television.

"How long the adjournment would be would be up to the trial bench," the source close to the trial said. "I would call this the beginning of an ongoing process."

Dulaimi said he had spoken with the former Iraqi leader Tuesday and that Saddam "had very high spirits" and was confident in his defense.

Dulaimi said the defense has witnesses from all factions of the Iraqi people about the Dujail allegations and that the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 -- what he called the bombing of Iraq "back to the Middle Ages" -- would be part of his defense.

CNN's Christiane Amanpour, Kevin Flower, Octavia Nasr, Erin McLaughlin and Joyce Joseph contributed to this report.

The first of Saddam's trials to begin

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