Former Khmer Rouge head of state Khieu Samphan stands in court in Phnom PenhMonday, November 03, 2008
PHNOM PENH (AFP) — Investigating judges at Cambodia's UN-backed genocide court have refused to release former Khmer Rouge leader Khieu Samphan nearly a year after he was arrested, said documents obtained Monday.
Former head of state Khieu Samphan, 77, stands charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity for his alleged role during the regime's brutal 1975-1979 rule.
His lawyers last month asked investigating judges Marcel Lemonde and You Bunleng not to renew his detention when it expires on November 19, on the grounds that there was not enough evidence to keep him in jail.
But investigating judges denied the request on October 28, saying confidential evidence gave "plausible reasons" to believe Khieu Samphan incited "murder, extermination, imprisonment, persecution and other inhumane acts constituting crimes against humanity and intentional homicide."
"The co-prosecutors believe that the release of the person charged could provoke demonstrations of indignation which could lead to violence," the document also said.
The former leader is expected to appeal the decision, and has long maintained he had no actual power under the Khmer Rouge regime.
Soon after his arrest, Khieu Samphan appealed against his pre-trial detention but that was dropped last month.
Khieu Samphan is one of five senior Khmer Rouge leaders, mostly in their 70s and 80s, in detention awaiting trial for their alleged roles in the 1975-79 atrocities.
Up to two million people died of starvation, overwork or were executed under the Khmer Rouge, which dismantled modern Cambodian society in its effort to forge a radical agrarian utopia.
Established in 2006 after nearly a decade of negotiations between Cambodia and the UN, the long-stalled tribunal seeks to prosecute crimes committed 30 years ago by senior Khmer Rouge leaders.
Former head of state Khieu Samphan, 77, stands charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity for his alleged role during the regime's brutal 1975-1979 rule.
His lawyers last month asked investigating judges Marcel Lemonde and You Bunleng not to renew his detention when it expires on November 19, on the grounds that there was not enough evidence to keep him in jail.
But investigating judges denied the request on October 28, saying confidential evidence gave "plausible reasons" to believe Khieu Samphan incited "murder, extermination, imprisonment, persecution and other inhumane acts constituting crimes against humanity and intentional homicide."
"The co-prosecutors believe that the release of the person charged could provoke demonstrations of indignation which could lead to violence," the document also said.
The former leader is expected to appeal the decision, and has long maintained he had no actual power under the Khmer Rouge regime.
Soon after his arrest, Khieu Samphan appealed against his pre-trial detention but that was dropped last month.
Khieu Samphan is one of five senior Khmer Rouge leaders, mostly in their 70s and 80s, in detention awaiting trial for their alleged roles in the 1975-79 atrocities.
Up to two million people died of starvation, overwork or were executed under the Khmer Rouge, which dismantled modern Cambodian society in its effort to forge a radical agrarian utopia.
Established in 2006 after nearly a decade of negotiations between Cambodia and the UN, the long-stalled tribunal seeks to prosecute crimes committed 30 years ago by senior Khmer Rouge leaders.
7 comments:
All these bustard guys should be hang.
Yep, they should get hang along time ago including their accomplice with the name SIHANOUK.
The inside story you do not try to dig it up, then, you want Sihanouk and Noun Chea hanged. Lord Jesus Christ or Christ Jesus, please shows these poor men to be more comprehensive so that they can find out who was killing Khmer people.
Kon Chap
The real killer behind this is YOUN!
Khmer PP,
image if cambodia was allowed to remain under the KR regime today, most of people not only be dead, but there would be no development at all in today's cambodia. i'm glad god see to it that the KR regime is gone forever from cambodia. they were really stupud people who ran the country at that time. i hope cambodia and the world will not let that kind of gov't reign in cambodia again. god bless cambodia and all the khmer people and citizens.
Don't forget that Sihanouk did play a big ROLE in khmer rouge victory by cheating all his followers to join POLPOT, and they had paid a very heavy price(DEATH) for that at the hand of the khmer rouge.i don't think SIHANOUK can sleep well to this day for this.
I just want to telling all Khmer to know that all killing during Khmer Rough regime from 1975 to 1979 under A Yuonese / Vietnamese hidden face behind the killing field not our Khmer kill our nation, I hope our Khmer not to be so stupid again and again ok. from Cambodian Australian
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