By Suy Se in Phnom Penh
Agence France-Presse
CAMBODIA'S UN-backed tribunal has indicted a former Khmer Rouge prison chief for crimes against humanity and war crimes, ahead of the first trial of regime leaders expected later this year.
Kaing Guek Eav, also known as "Duch", is the first suspect to be indicted by the tribunal. He allegedly oversaw the torture and extermination of 16,000 men, women and children at the notorious Tuol Sleng prison in Phnom Penh.
He and four other top Khmer Rouge leaders are facing charges at the tribunal for crimes committed by the communist regime, which ruled from 1975-1979 and is believed to be responsible for the deaths of up to two million people.
The court said judges had, on August 8, indicted Duch and sent him forward "for trial for crimes against humanity and grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 (on war crimes)".
Tribunal spokesman Peter Foster hailed the move as an important step in the long-running process to bring Khmer Rouge leaders to justice.
"It marks a new phase in the light of the court. For this case, the investigation is now closed so the next stage is the actual trial. So, we are just waiting now to find an actual trial date," he said.
Duch's trial is expected to open in late September or early October and could last up to four months, tribunal officials have said.
Duch, 65, has been in prison since 1999 for his role at Tuol Sleng.
He was transferred to the custody of the UN-backed court in July last year, becoming the first top Khmer Rouge cadre to be detained by the court since it was set up in July 2006.
At the time, he was charged with crimes against humanity. The war crimes charge has apparently been added as a result of the investigation of his case.
The indictment order said that more than 12,380 people were executed at Tuol Sleng - also known as S21 - most after suffering inhuman detention conditions and prolonged mental and physical torture.
Thousands of inmates were also taken from the centre for execution at Choeng Ek, now known as the Killing Fields.
"Every prisoner who arrived at S21 was destined for execution," said the indictment order, which gives a detailed breakdown of the horrific conditions at Tuol Sleng, and Duch's role in the atrocities.
"Duch personally tortured or mistreated detainees at S21 on a number of separate occasions and through a variety of means," the order said.
"His leadership and participation were clear contributing factors to the overall functioning of S21 and demonstrated an intention that the staff of S21 carry out these crimes," it said.
"The crimes committed at S21 themselves constituted a discreet widespread or systematic attack against the civilian population detained therein."
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.
Up to two million people were executed or died of starvation and overwork as the regime emptied Cambodia's cities, exiling millions to vast collective farms in a bid to forge an agrarian utopia during its rule.
The Khmer Rouge also abolished money, religion and schools.
Kaing Guek Eav, also known as "Duch", is the first suspect to be indicted by the tribunal. He allegedly oversaw the torture and extermination of 16,000 men, women and children at the notorious Tuol Sleng prison in Phnom Penh.
He and four other top Khmer Rouge leaders are facing charges at the tribunal for crimes committed by the communist regime, which ruled from 1975-1979 and is believed to be responsible for the deaths of up to two million people.
The court said judges had, on August 8, indicted Duch and sent him forward "for trial for crimes against humanity and grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 (on war crimes)".
Tribunal spokesman Peter Foster hailed the move as an important step in the long-running process to bring Khmer Rouge leaders to justice.
"It marks a new phase in the light of the court. For this case, the investigation is now closed so the next stage is the actual trial. So, we are just waiting now to find an actual trial date," he said.
Duch's trial is expected to open in late September or early October and could last up to four months, tribunal officials have said.
Duch, 65, has been in prison since 1999 for his role at Tuol Sleng.
He was transferred to the custody of the UN-backed court in July last year, becoming the first top Khmer Rouge cadre to be detained by the court since it was set up in July 2006.
At the time, he was charged with crimes against humanity. The war crimes charge has apparently been added as a result of the investigation of his case.
The indictment order said that more than 12,380 people were executed at Tuol Sleng - also known as S21 - most after suffering inhuman detention conditions and prolonged mental and physical torture.
Thousands of inmates were also taken from the centre for execution at Choeng Ek, now known as the Killing Fields.
"Every prisoner who arrived at S21 was destined for execution," said the indictment order, which gives a detailed breakdown of the horrific conditions at Tuol Sleng, and Duch's role in the atrocities.
"Duch personally tortured or mistreated detainees at S21 on a number of separate occasions and through a variety of means," the order said.
"His leadership and participation were clear contributing factors to the overall functioning of S21 and demonstrated an intention that the staff of S21 carry out these crimes," it said.
"The crimes committed at S21 themselves constituted a discreet widespread or systematic attack against the civilian population detained therein."
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.
Up to two million people were executed or died of starvation and overwork as the regime emptied Cambodia's cities, exiling millions to vast collective farms in a bid to forge an agrarian utopia during its rule.
The Khmer Rouge also abolished money, religion and schools.
