Duch’s trial date to be set after 07 January

Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

An official from the KR Tribunal indicated that ECCC judges plan to hold a discussion to set the date for the court hearing in the trial of Kaing Kech Iev also known as Duch, the former Tuol Sleng jail warden, after 07 January. The judges plan to organize a meeting to be held on 15-16 January 2009, and the ECCC will then announce the exact date for the trial after a decision has been taken by the judges. Reach Sambath, ECCC spokesman, told the Koh Santepheap newspaper over the phone on 05 January that the date for Duch’s trial will be set after the 15-16 January meeting. Reach Sambath added that the schedule and the hearing on Duch’s case will be known in January following the meeting of ECCC officials. He added that judges will be the ones setting the date for the court hearing. On 05 January, Kar Savuth, Duch’s defense lawyer, could not be reached to discuss about the planned court hearing for his defendant case. However, recently, he had refused to provide any comment on this issue.