Original report from Phnom Penh
12 October 2009
The defense team for jailed Khmer Rouge leader Ieng Sary moved on Friday to have French investigating judge Marcel Lemonde removed from a UN-backed tribunal case, claiming he was conducting a biased investigation.
Lemonde provoked a response from Prime Minister Hun Sen earlier this week by summoning six Cambodian government officials to appear as witnesses in the court’s second case, against four jailed leaders, including Ieng Sary.
“We insist he withdraw himself from Case 002,” defense attorney Ang Udom said. “We have witnesses who have indicated he is biased. According to witnesses, he instructed to seek evidence for guilt, rather than evidence to release the charged.”
Lemonde could not be reached for comment. Tribunal legal affairs officer Lars Olsen said the judge “doesn’t want to comment publicly on this allegation.”
If the complaint goes to the Pre-Trial Chamber, “he will give all information to the…chamber,” Olsen said.
Long Panhavuth, a project officer for the Open Society Justice Initiative, which monitors the tribunal, said the complaint may only refer to Ieng Sary, as other defense teams have not filed, leaving Lemonde a free hand in other parts of the case.
Meanwhile, the six officials summoned Wednesday remained mostly silent on whether they would comply with the order, following statements by Hun Sen on Thursday calling them plaintiffs, not witnesses.
Among those summoned, Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said he had not decided yet whether he would answer the summons. Heng Samrin, a former Khmer Rouge cadre and now head of the National Assembly, declined to comment Friday.
Lemonde provoked a response from Prime Minister Hun Sen earlier this week by summoning six Cambodian government officials to appear as witnesses in the court’s second case, against four jailed leaders, including Ieng Sary.
“We insist he withdraw himself from Case 002,” defense attorney Ang Udom said. “We have witnesses who have indicated he is biased. According to witnesses, he instructed to seek evidence for guilt, rather than evidence to release the charged.”
Lemonde could not be reached for comment. Tribunal legal affairs officer Lars Olsen said the judge “doesn’t want to comment publicly on this allegation.”
If the complaint goes to the Pre-Trial Chamber, “he will give all information to the…chamber,” Olsen said.
Long Panhavuth, a project officer for the Open Society Justice Initiative, which monitors the tribunal, said the complaint may only refer to Ieng Sary, as other defense teams have not filed, leaving Lemonde a free hand in other parts of the case.
Meanwhile, the six officials summoned Wednesday remained mostly silent on whether they would comply with the order, following statements by Hun Sen on Thursday calling them plaintiffs, not witnesses.
Among those summoned, Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said he had not decided yet whether he would answer the summons. Heng Samrin, a former Khmer Rouge cadre and now head of the National Assembly, declined to comment Friday.
4 comments:
Well, in Cambodia, Hun Xen is the law and he is the master of it. Can we just let the KR Tribunal court do their work to find justice for 1.7 million Cambodians who died under the KR regime and let them rest in peace?
if those six people who have been summoned by the court decide not to show up , that means they think they are above the law and they have been involved with the killing during khmer rouge regime. if they are clean, there is no reason to dogde .
Ang Udom are you a fool just like Sa Savan!
It is not the case of evidence of release or charge, dumbo!They are criminal case you fool!
And who care obout release or charge but the thrue so justice can be serve!
All available witness ashould be call foo! 3,000,000 had been killed, motherfucker!
Led the judge do his job! Motherfucker!
Who can be trusted than the respectable hiher officer of the government and the senat and congress man?
Please help the justice find the just for all respectable gentlement!
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