DPA
Phnom Penh - Investigating judges at Cambodia's war crimes tribunal said Thursday that they had concluded their two-and-a-half-year investigation into four former leaders of the Khmer Rouge regime.
The decision on whether to prosecute them for war crimes was expected in September.
Lars Olsen, a spokesman at the hybrid UN-Cambodian court, established in 2006, said the inquiry's end marked a milestone in the proceedings of the case.
The four former leaders have been charged with genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes for their alleged roles in the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million people during the Khmer Rouge's rule of Cambodia from 1975 to 1979.
The four are: Nuon Chea, former deputy head of the movement; Khieu Samphan, the regime's head of state; Ieng Sary, the regime's foreign minister; and Ieng Thirith, the regime's social affairs minister.
All four are in detention pending their trial, which was likely to begin in early 2011 if the judges conclude they are to be prosecuted.
The case is the tribunal's second to date. The regime's chief executioner, Comrade Duch, was tried for crimes against humanity and war crimes last year. A vrdict was expected within two months.
Duch was also indicted in the second case alongside the other four former leaders, but Olsen said a decision would be made later this year as to whether he would stand trial again.
Olsen said more than 2,000 petitions have been received from victims of the regime wishing to be parties to the proceedings.
Around a quarter of Cambodia's population is thought to have died from execution, disease, starvation and forced labour under the Khmer Rouge. Its leader, Pol Pot, died of a supposed heart attack in 1998.
The decision on whether to prosecute them for war crimes was expected in September.
Lars Olsen, a spokesman at the hybrid UN-Cambodian court, established in 2006, said the inquiry's end marked a milestone in the proceedings of the case.
The four former leaders have been charged with genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes for their alleged roles in the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million people during the Khmer Rouge's rule of Cambodia from 1975 to 1979.
The four are: Nuon Chea, former deputy head of the movement; Khieu Samphan, the regime's head of state; Ieng Sary, the regime's foreign minister; and Ieng Thirith, the regime's social affairs minister.
All four are in detention pending their trial, which was likely to begin in early 2011 if the judges conclude they are to be prosecuted.
The case is the tribunal's second to date. The regime's chief executioner, Comrade Duch, was tried for crimes against humanity and war crimes last year. A vrdict was expected within two months.
Duch was also indicted in the second case alongside the other four former leaders, but Olsen said a decision would be made later this year as to whether he would stand trial again.
Olsen said more than 2,000 petitions have been received from victims of the regime wishing to be parties to the proceedings.
Around a quarter of Cambodia's population is thought to have died from execution, disease, starvation and forced labour under the Khmer Rouge. Its leader, Pol Pot, died of a supposed heart attack in 1998.
1 comment:
when your relative go to the wrong way, join the gang, drug dealer or other criminal activities, just don't blame on american society. everybody has all opportunities whatever to get sucess, even their parent living in the poverty, their children still get government fund for scholarship, free medicare and alot more social benifist. but the problem is those kids just born in evil way. so they have to pay for their crimes.
Post a Comment