Thursday, April 24, 2008 The Associated Press
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: A French lawyer known for his provocative style and infamous clients has taken center stage at the tribunal on Cambodia's former Khmer Rouge leaders, challenging the judges and adding to the woes of an already troubled court.
The aggressive stance taken by Jacques Verges at an appeal by former Khmer Rouge president Khieu Samphan for release from pre-trial detention Wednesday augurs possible new hurdles for the tribunal, plagued over the past few years by political wrangling, corruption scandals and inadequate financing.
The U.N.-assisted tribunal seeks justice for the 1.7 million people who died from starvation, disease, overwork and execution as a result of the communist Khmer Rouge's radical attempt to build a classless society when they held power in 1975-79. Khieu Samphan has denied responsibility for the atrocities.
But the spotlight Wednesday was on the 83-year-old Verges, who triggered a delay in the pre-trial hearing with an outburst over the court's failure to translate case documents into French.
Verges is every bit as controversial as the people he defends, going back five decades ago to Algerian freedom fighters accused of terrorism. His notoriety is such that he was the subject of a feature-length documentary film last year, "Terror's Advocate."
The list of his past clients includes included Nazi Gestapo officer Klaus Barbie and French collaborators, Venezuelan terrorist Carlos the Jackal and various Palestinian hijackers, former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, and confessed serial killer Charles Sobhraj.
He has also looked after the interests of Saddam Hussein and several brutal African dictators -- but has represented some true underdogs as well, mainly working-class citizens from France's ethnic minority communities.
Verges himself was born in northeastern Thailand to a French diplomat and a Vietnamese mother, a union said to have hurt his father's career. He has suggested his ethnic background has made him sympathetic to underdogs and outcasts.
Verges has said he likes to employ what he calls a "rupture" strategy, questioning the legitimacy of the court and accusing it of being a tool of injustice.
On Wednesday he described the tribunal's case against Khieu Samphan as "invalid from the start."
Verges and Khieu Samphan, 76, have said they have known each other since they both were active in left-wing student activities in Paris in the 1950s.
The tribunal has charged Khieu Samphan with crimes against humanity and war crimes, detaining him since last November.
Wednesday's closed-door hearing on Khieu Samphan's appeal was abruptly adjourned when Verges refused to continue, protesting that Khieu Samphan's case file — thousands of pages of documents — had not been translated into French.
"French is an official language of the tribunal. There is not one page of the case file against Mr. Khieu Samphan translated into French," Verges explained afterward to reporters. "I should be capable of knowing what my client is blamed for."
After Verges refused to participate further, the judges suggested Khieu Samphan might want to appoint a new lawyer to represent him_ and then adjourned the hearing.
"I have been a lawyer for 50 years, it is the first time I have seen judges ask an accused to change his lawyer. This is a scandal!" he said. "This never happens except in dictatorships!"
The tribunal's judges said in a statement issued late Wednesday that they will "issue a warning" to Verges for courtroom behavior causing the hearing's postponement.
Tribunal rules allow for disciplinary actions, including dismissing lawyers for offensive or abusive behavior obstructing the proceedings.
One of the Cambodian prosecutors, Chea Leang, acknowledged to reporters that the court is facing difficulty translating documents for all its cases into the three official languages used by the tribunal — Khmer, English and French.
But she said Verges' refusal to participate in the hearing was "unreasonable" because the proceedings were not part of the actual trial.
The long-delayed tribunal is expected to hold its first trial later this year. Many fear the Khmer Rouge's aging leaders could die before being brought to justice; four other senior former Khmer Rouge are being held for trial.
Khieu Samphan has blamed the late Khmer Rouge chief Pol Pot for the group's policies, including decisions to purge many Khmer Rouge cadres suspected of being disloyal or spies.
The aggressive stance taken by Jacques Verges at an appeal by former Khmer Rouge president Khieu Samphan for release from pre-trial detention Wednesday augurs possible new hurdles for the tribunal, plagued over the past few years by political wrangling, corruption scandals and inadequate financing.
The U.N.-assisted tribunal seeks justice for the 1.7 million people who died from starvation, disease, overwork and execution as a result of the communist Khmer Rouge's radical attempt to build a classless society when they held power in 1975-79. Khieu Samphan has denied responsibility for the atrocities.
But the spotlight Wednesday was on the 83-year-old Verges, who triggered a delay in the pre-trial hearing with an outburst over the court's failure to translate case documents into French.
Verges is every bit as controversial as the people he defends, going back five decades ago to Algerian freedom fighters accused of terrorism. His notoriety is such that he was the subject of a feature-length documentary film last year, "Terror's Advocate."
The list of his past clients includes included Nazi Gestapo officer Klaus Barbie and French collaborators, Venezuelan terrorist Carlos the Jackal and various Palestinian hijackers, former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, and confessed serial killer Charles Sobhraj.
He has also looked after the interests of Saddam Hussein and several brutal African dictators -- but has represented some true underdogs as well, mainly working-class citizens from France's ethnic minority communities.
Verges himself was born in northeastern Thailand to a French diplomat and a Vietnamese mother, a union said to have hurt his father's career. He has suggested his ethnic background has made him sympathetic to underdogs and outcasts.
Verges has said he likes to employ what he calls a "rupture" strategy, questioning the legitimacy of the court and accusing it of being a tool of injustice.
On Wednesday he described the tribunal's case against Khieu Samphan as "invalid from the start."
Verges and Khieu Samphan, 76, have said they have known each other since they both were active in left-wing student activities in Paris in the 1950s.
The tribunal has charged Khieu Samphan with crimes against humanity and war crimes, detaining him since last November.
Wednesday's closed-door hearing on Khieu Samphan's appeal was abruptly adjourned when Verges refused to continue, protesting that Khieu Samphan's case file — thousands of pages of documents — had not been translated into French.
"French is an official language of the tribunal. There is not one page of the case file against Mr. Khieu Samphan translated into French," Verges explained afterward to reporters. "I should be capable of knowing what my client is blamed for."
After Verges refused to participate further, the judges suggested Khieu Samphan might want to appoint a new lawyer to represent him_ and then adjourned the hearing.
"I have been a lawyer for 50 years, it is the first time I have seen judges ask an accused to change his lawyer. This is a scandal!" he said. "This never happens except in dictatorships!"
The tribunal's judges said in a statement issued late Wednesday that they will "issue a warning" to Verges for courtroom behavior causing the hearing's postponement.
Tribunal rules allow for disciplinary actions, including dismissing lawyers for offensive or abusive behavior obstructing the proceedings.
One of the Cambodian prosecutors, Chea Leang, acknowledged to reporters that the court is facing difficulty translating documents for all its cases into the three official languages used by the tribunal — Khmer, English and French.
But she said Verges' refusal to participate in the hearing was "unreasonable" because the proceedings were not part of the actual trial.
The long-delayed tribunal is expected to hold its first trial later this year. Many fear the Khmer Rouge's aging leaders could die before being brought to justice; four other senior former Khmer Rouge are being held for trial.
Khieu Samphan has blamed the late Khmer Rouge chief Pol Pot for the group's policies, including decisions to purge many Khmer Rouge cadres suspected of being disloyal or spies.
6 comments:
Tacticful man indeed.
If court has problems get all documents translated into lawful language used then the proceeding is unrealistci eventhough it is not part of the trial as his lawyer argue here about bail.
This is what we called "international standard."
1:21 PM
Agrred with you but you know that many of us wanted to have International Standard and now they realize that it is a pain in the bump.
Every body khnew that the Khmer Rouge killed fast 2 Mio. of cambodian people. Now, some of their leaders was bring to tribunal. The languages that to use in this international standard in Khmer, english and french. The layer a franch how he can defend his client? That is the real international standards law.
Pain in the bump is not so bad, 1:42. It is just a warm up, but wait until you see the punch line, then you'll know what I mean.
That man looks like he is ready to go to the coffin.
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