Re-reading Solzhenicyn's "Archipelag GULAG" popped up an interesting parallel in my mind. Saddam Hussein execution.
http://lib.ru/PROZA/SOLZHENICYN/gulag2.txt#fn_3_16 (translation is mine)

That was the moment when I understood the trues of any religion in the world: they are fighting evil in people (in every one). It is impossible to eliminate the evil in the world but it is possible to press the evil in each human.

That was the moment when I understood the lie of all revolutions: they destroy only modern carriers of evil and they inherit the evil even increased.

To the honor of 20th century we can account Nuremberg Trial. It killed the evil idea itself and very a little of people who were infected by evil.

From this perspective Saddam's trial did not became trial on the evil itself but trial on single person. It looks like the mistake typical to any revolution has been made. The carrier of evil has been killed but evil inherited even increased and transformed.