The judge gave no reason for the absence of the defendants and the trial continued with the testimony of the third witness of the day.
Court was adjourned for an hour following an outburst by Saddam and his ejection from the proceedings.
"You are a defendant, I am the judge," Judge Mohammed al-Oreibi al-Khalifa said as he ordered Saddam to leave the court room after the ousted dictator ignored orders to keep silent.
Saddam left the court room smiling. He had been ejected from the past two sessions for similar reasons.
His dismissal from the room prompted a revolt by the other defendants, who demanded to be allowed to leave as well.
Former Iraqi military commander Sultan Hashim Ahmed al-Tai was the most vocal of the defendants, refusing to sit down and continuing to shout and wave his finger at the judge.
"Don't raise your voice at me, you are the defendant," the judge retorted, before ejecting Hashim from court.