In this file photo, French lawyer Francois Roux takes part in a press conference in Montpellier, France. Francois Roux, who defended the only man convicted in the September 11 attacks on the United States, was sworn in Wednesday as a defence lawyer for Khmer Rouge prison chief Duch, according to officials. (Photo: AFP)Wednesday August 8, 2007
9/11 lawyer to defend KRouge leader in genocide trial
PHNOM PENH (AFP) - French lawyer Francois Roux, who defended the only man convicted in the September 11 attacks on the United States, was sworn in Wednesday as a defence lawyer for Khmer Rouge prison chief Duch, officials said.
Roux becomes the first foreign lawyer formally selected to defend suspects in Cambodia's historic genocide trials, said Ky Tech, president of Cambodia's Bar Association, which must approve all international defence counsel.
"Now he has full rights to work in the Khmer Rouge tribunal," Ky Tech told AFP.
Duch, whose real name is Kaing Guek Eav, became the first former Khmer Rouge leader detained by the UN-backed tribunal when he was charged with crimes against humanity on July 31.
He is alleged to have overseen the atrocities that occurred in Tuol Sleng prison, a torture centre that he commanded during the 1975-79 regime.
He selected Roux as co-defence counsel along with Cambodian lawyer Kar Savuth, who has represented Duch since his arrest by military authorities in 1999, Ky Tech said.
Roux, a 30-year veteran of the courts, is best known for being part of the defence team for Zacarias Moussaoui, a Moroccan-born Frenchman convicted in the United States of conspiring to commit terrorism and kill Americans in connection with the September 11 attacks.
Roux also defended four cases of genocide at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, obtaining a not guilty verdict for former mayor Ignace Bagilishema.
Another Frenchman with a reputation for taking on difficult cases, Jacques Verges, has agreed to represent former Khmer Rouge head of state Khieu Samphan, who has not been charged by the tribunal but is a likely defendant.
Known as the "Devil's Advocate" for his choice of clients, Verges has most notably acted for Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie and Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, known to the world as the infamous terrorist "Carlos the Jackal."
Ky Tech said Verges had yet to get Bar approval.
Rupert Skilbeck, who heads the tribunal's Office of the Defence tasked with maintaining the rights of the accused, said he was not surprised by the calibre of foreign lawyers seeking a role in the trials.
"We've always expected to have only highly experienced lawyers as co-defence. In order to put a good team together you've got to have heavy hitters," he said.
"These cases are extremely interesting to be involved in," he added.
So far tribunal judges have been asked to investigate five suspects, including Duch, for crimes committed by the Khmer Rouge. The names of the other four have not been made public.
Up to two million people died of starvation and overwork, or were executed under the Khmer Rouge regime, which abolished religion, schools and currency, exiling millions to vast collective farms with the aim of creating an agrarian utopia.
Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot died in 1998 and so far no other top cadre have been brought to justice.
Roux becomes the first foreign lawyer formally selected to defend suspects in Cambodia's historic genocide trials, said Ky Tech, president of Cambodia's Bar Association, which must approve all international defence counsel.
"Now he has full rights to work in the Khmer Rouge tribunal," Ky Tech told AFP.
Duch, whose real name is Kaing Guek Eav, became the first former Khmer Rouge leader detained by the UN-backed tribunal when he was charged with crimes against humanity on July 31.
He is alleged to have overseen the atrocities that occurred in Tuol Sleng prison, a torture centre that he commanded during the 1975-79 regime.
He selected Roux as co-defence counsel along with Cambodian lawyer Kar Savuth, who has represented Duch since his arrest by military authorities in 1999, Ky Tech said.
Roux, a 30-year veteran of the courts, is best known for being part of the defence team for Zacarias Moussaoui, a Moroccan-born Frenchman convicted in the United States of conspiring to commit terrorism and kill Americans in connection with the September 11 attacks.
Roux also defended four cases of genocide at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, obtaining a not guilty verdict for former mayor Ignace Bagilishema.
Another Frenchman with a reputation for taking on difficult cases, Jacques Verges, has agreed to represent former Khmer Rouge head of state Khieu Samphan, who has not been charged by the tribunal but is a likely defendant.
Known as the "Devil's Advocate" for his choice of clients, Verges has most notably acted for Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie and Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, known to the world as the infamous terrorist "Carlos the Jackal."
Ky Tech said Verges had yet to get Bar approval.
Rupert Skilbeck, who heads the tribunal's Office of the Defence tasked with maintaining the rights of the accused, said he was not surprised by the calibre of foreign lawyers seeking a role in the trials.
"We've always expected to have only highly experienced lawyers as co-defence. In order to put a good team together you've got to have heavy hitters," he said.
"These cases are extremely interesting to be involved in," he added.
So far tribunal judges have been asked to investigate five suspects, including Duch, for crimes committed by the Khmer Rouge. The names of the other four have not been made public.
Up to two million people died of starvation and overwork, or were executed under the Khmer Rouge regime, which abolished religion, schools and currency, exiling millions to vast collective farms with the aim of creating an agrarian utopia.
Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot died in 1998 and so far no other top cadre have been brought to justice.
4 comments:
FREEDOM FRIES OR FRENCH FRIES !!!
FRANCE PROVIDED EDUCATION TO MOST KHMER ROUGE LEADERS AND NOW FRENCH IS GOING TO DEFEND KHMER ROUGE KILLERS.
ANYTHING THAT FRANCE DOES SO FAR TO HELP CAMBODIA FOR DEVELOPMENT.
REMEMBER KAMPUCHEA KROM.
FRANCE DOES BEST IN THE WORLD IS FOR SEX AND CHAMPAGNE
Youn also is going to defend Khieu Samphan.Jacues Vergès is half origin Vietnamese.
don't blame others like france for the lack of leadership of our kings and government since the fall of Angkor Wat.
If france was not here, now Battambang and Angkor Wat would belong to Thailand. The facts are that we don't have true leader who care about the country since the fall of Angkor Wat Empire. Since that time when a simple gardener kill the true king to hold the power wand contributed to the destroy of khmer empire and modern cambodia....
Dear 7:50,
Pardon, but California Champagne is superior to French, just as California wine is generally superior to French.
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