Undated file photo of President Khieu Samphan, leader of the Democratic Kampuchea, second from left, fighting with his revolutionary soldiers in the jungle.Khieu Samphan Confirms Jacque Verges as His Attorney
Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
26 July 2007
Khieu Samphan, the former head of state for Democratic Kampuchea, has enlisted the counsel of Jacque Verges, a French lawyer who is a longtime friend of Pol Pot and infamous for defending international war criminals, terrorists and assassins.
Verges is expected to arrive in August to begin defense preparations, the aging Khmer Rouge leader told VOA Khmer by phone from Pailin on Thursday.
Khieu Samphan is potentially one of the leaders who will be prosecuted by the Khmer Rouge tribunal, which last week drafted a confidential list of five suspects to be investigated. None of the suspects for investigation has been named.
Verges, a longtime friend of Saloth Sar, or Pol Pot, has defended international terrorist Carlos the Jackal, Nazi security chief Klaus Barbie, also known as the Butcher of Lyon, and former Serbian president Slobodan Milosovic. He was once considered as defense for Saddam Hussein. Verges is the son of a French diplomat and a Vietnamese mother and has made a career of using his defense position to assault Western and colonial mores.
Verges is known as the Devil's Advocate, "for his spirited defense of some of the worst monsters of our time," the US television news program "60 Minutes" reported in 2004, ahead of Saddam Hussein's trial, though Verges ultimately did not defend the former Iraqi dictator.
Khieu Samphan said he needed an international lawyer for an international court, if he is named as a defendant in Cambodia's joint tribunal.
"I think that it is a court with international participation, with international prosecutors," Khieu Samphan said. "Therefore, the lawyers should be international too, to be balanced."
Tribunal spokesman Reach Sambath said Khieu Samphan had a right to hire an attorney even if he hasn't been named as a defendant.
"He does not know if he was charged or not," Reach Sambath said. "He is looking for someone quite fast, while the names have not been announced yet."
Verges is expected to arrive in August to begin defense preparations, the aging Khmer Rouge leader told VOA Khmer by phone from Pailin on Thursday.
Khieu Samphan is potentially one of the leaders who will be prosecuted by the Khmer Rouge tribunal, which last week drafted a confidential list of five suspects to be investigated. None of the suspects for investigation has been named.
Verges, a longtime friend of Saloth Sar, or Pol Pot, has defended international terrorist Carlos the Jackal, Nazi security chief Klaus Barbie, also known as the Butcher of Lyon, and former Serbian president Slobodan Milosovic. He was once considered as defense for Saddam Hussein. Verges is the son of a French diplomat and a Vietnamese mother and has made a career of using his defense position to assault Western and colonial mores.
Verges is known as the Devil's Advocate, "for his spirited defense of some of the worst monsters of our time," the US television news program "60 Minutes" reported in 2004, ahead of Saddam Hussein's trial, though Verges ultimately did not defend the former Iraqi dictator.
Khieu Samphan said he needed an international lawyer for an international court, if he is named as a defendant in Cambodia's joint tribunal.
"I think that it is a court with international participation, with international prosecutors," Khieu Samphan said. "Therefore, the lawyers should be international too, to be balanced."
Tribunal spokesman Reach Sambath said Khieu Samphan had a right to hire an attorney even if he hasn't been named as a defendant.
"He does not know if he was charged or not," Reach Sambath said. "He is looking for someone quite fast, while the names have not been announced yet."
4 comments:
I don't think Khiev Samphannn has any chance to use this lawyer. Usually all this lawyers are even worst than their clients. If there is no monie, there will be no service. No free lunch for legal profession. Usually it cost a lot of monies to have a good lawyer. Areak Prey
Jaques Verges will be Khieu Samphan's lawyer ,for sure.
It's going to be a great show for Khmer Rouge tribunal .
The big embarassing in this court
are involving with Yuon-Hanoi,Chen & Lauk-Kaing...maybe Sdech Ta too ?
Khiev Samphannn has wowed again and again that he was not guilty. I believed him. But since he has hired that evil lawyer, I realize I was wrong.
No man is guilty until it was proven guilty.
It doesn't matter whose lawyer he has. He is no God when it comes to real proof and evident. Fear no evil. Let's him talk and if he can defense his client and win this case , let him be. All want to know is the truth and nothing, but the truth.
Right now, it's also in the hand of the proscecutor. Cann't wait to hear those seat flying questions! Get ready Jacque Verges!
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