Baghdad remains under curfew as Saddam Hussein's appeal over his crimes against humanity conviction begins.

Two other provinces - Diyala and Salaheddin - are also under curfew to in an attempt to prevent an outbreak of violence after the verdict in Saddam's first trial.

Baghdad airport has also been closed for the second consecutive day, and the border with Jordan has been shut to all traffic as part of the security measures.

The curfew has been in place since early on Sunday morning.

An appeal - which is automatic under Iraqi law when the defendant has been sentenced to death - will begin on Monday.

Raed al-Juhi, the spokesman for the tribunal which tried the former president, said it would last a month but did not give a date when the decision would be announced.

If the nine-judge panel upholds the verdict, Saddam will be hanged within 30 days of its ruling.

Saddam's defence team said Saddam had expected the death penalty but was in good spirits as he planned his appeal.

"I was among 12 defence lawyers who met Saddam Hussein for four hours on Saturday afternoon. His morale was very high, it was made of steel," Ahmad Siddiq, one of Saddam's lawyers, told AFP news agency.

Barzan al-Tikriti, Saddam's half-brother and former intelligence chief, was also sentenced to die, as was Awad Ahmed al-Bandar, chairman of the so-called Revolutionary Court that ordered the Dujail executions.

PHOTO CAPTION

Former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein reacts to the verdict at his trial under tight security in Baghdad November 5, 2006. (Reuters)