Former Khmer Rouge head of state Khieu Samphan is ready to go before Cambodia's UN-backed genocide tribunal, his wife says, as momentum builds towards prosecuting regime leaders.
The French-educated radical who was the public face of the Khmer Rouge remains free in Cambodia and has repeatedly denied responsibility for the atrocities that occurred under the 1975-79 communist regime.
But he is likely one of five suspects being investigated by the court.
Two other top figures, former jailer Duch and Nuon Chea, the most senior surviving regime leader, have already been arrested for crimes allegedly committed under Khmer Rouge rule.
"He knows himself what he did," Sour Socheat said from Pailin, the former Khmer Rouge stronghold near the Thai border in north-west Cambodia where the couple live.
"He was not involved in the deaths of people ... there is nothing for him to worry about because he did nothing wrong," she added, saying Khieu Samphan was not surprised by last Wednesday's arrest of his former neighbour Nuon Chea for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
"He has said when the tribunal summons him, he will go. He has no choice."
Up to two million people died of starvation, disease and overwork or were executed by the Khmer Rouge
The regime also abolished religion, schools and currency, exiling millions to vast collective farms in a bid to create an agrarian utopia.
Its leaders maintain they had no power to order the mass deaths that marked one of the 20th century's worst bloodlettings.
"We need to find out who had power and who did not during the regime," Ms Socheat said.
"We have a Cambodian saying: When a fish is rotten, all the fish in the basket are also spoiled."
The French-educated radical who was the public face of the Khmer Rouge remains free in Cambodia and has repeatedly denied responsibility for the atrocities that occurred under the 1975-79 communist regime.
But he is likely one of five suspects being investigated by the court.
Two other top figures, former jailer Duch and Nuon Chea, the most senior surviving regime leader, have already been arrested for crimes allegedly committed under Khmer Rouge rule.
"He knows himself what he did," Sour Socheat said from Pailin, the former Khmer Rouge stronghold near the Thai border in north-west Cambodia where the couple live.
"He was not involved in the deaths of people ... there is nothing for him to worry about because he did nothing wrong," she added, saying Khieu Samphan was not surprised by last Wednesday's arrest of his former neighbour Nuon Chea for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
"He has said when the tribunal summons him, he will go. He has no choice."
Up to two million people died of starvation, disease and overwork or were executed by the Khmer Rouge
The regime also abolished religion, schools and currency, exiling millions to vast collective farms in a bid to create an agrarian utopia.
Its leaders maintain they had no power to order the mass deaths that marked one of the 20th century's worst bloodlettings.
"We need to find out who had power and who did not during the regime," Ms Socheat said.
"We have a Cambodian saying: When a fish is rotten, all the fish in the basket are also spoiled."
