Abbas Al-Janabi
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CNN's Jane Arraf talks with Abbas Al-Janabi
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(CNN) -- A former top aide to Saddam Hussein's heir apparent says the Iraqi leader's oldest son is steadily becoming more brutal.

Before he recently defected, Abbas Al-Janabi served as Uday Hussein's press secretary. But his high-ranking position did not protect him.

Janabi says he was beaten for three days in 1991 for trying to quit his job. And he says Uday Hussein laughed at his injuries.

A dispute about work again that year landed Janabi in a special prison inside a presidential palace. This time Janabi says Uday sent his bodyguard to pull out one of Janabi's front teeth. The bodyguard took the tooth to prove to Uday that the punishment had been carried out.

Unconfirmed reports of torture and brutality by Iraq's first family have trickled out of Iraq for years.

Uday Hussein

"You can't find any of Uday's friends, he can't show you any of his friends without they are leaning (limping) or without wounds. Even his bodyguards. Even his people who serve him, give him or prepare for him food or drinks. He always likes to torture people."

Janabi says he witnessed many of those acts of violence. And he may write a book now that he and his entire family have fled Iraq and won asylum in an undisclosed country.

Correspondent Jane Arraf contributed to this report.