Phnom Penh Friday, 19 November 2010
The defense team for the Khmer Rouge torture chief Duch have launched an appeal to the Supreme Court Chamber of the UN-backed tribunal, urging the release of their client.
Duch received a commuted sentence of 19 years in July, following a guilty verdict for atrocity crimes and the overseeing of the torture and killing of more than 12,000 prisoners at Tuol Sleng prison while the Khmer Rouge was in power.
“In their appeal, the lawyers requested firstly to the Supreme Court to consider as null the verdict against Duch and release him,” tribunal spokesman Dim Sovannarom said. “Secondly to consider Duch's detention as protection for a potential witness toward indictments of top leaders and those most responsible for the crimes at Tuol Sleng.”
The tribunal is preparing to try four leaders of the regime next year: Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan, Ieng Sary and Ieng Thirith.
Kar Savuth, a lawyer for Duch's defense, confirmed the appeal but declined to give further details.
Duch was arrested in May 1999 and was later charged by the tribunal for war crimes, crimes against humanity, torture and homicide.
Family members of those killed at his prison expressed disappointment with the sentence, reduced from 35 years total for time served and leniency. And tribunal prosecutors have made their own appeal, for 45 years without reduction.
Dim Sovannarom said the Supreme Court could take up to eight months to deal with the appeal.
5 comments:
we viet nam believe Hun Sen- CPP and the last is the KING Sihanomi did a good job and a good leaders. they are working hand in hand. They are a good leaders and good followers to our instructions.
Also thanks to all our vietnamese brothers and sisters who sacrify their family to work in all level of officials in cambodia to keep it part of viet nam.
we also want to thank His Excellency Dr. Phay Siphan, SOK Siphana and SARIN DENORA for their lips services and manipulation of international communities to support us..
Long live Viet Nam
you are such a joker . you are not vietnamese and you dont even know how to spell (viet nam) Vietnam . shame on you dude ......
is this justice for Khmer victims from Khmer Rouge Trials or ECCC it has taken nearly 3 years and spend almost 60 U.S. millions dollar just to trial unfinished Duch case.
And what is the real reasons behind all of these dragging on and on.
Tell him to confessed to the crime and who;s els that still in the khmer today is government that was involved and still them.
Did Duch admit what he killed those Khmer people?The judges had enough evident,so the judges decided to put in jail for 35 years.If someone killed a person in Cambodia last year,Khmer judges threw that person for 15 years.And about Duch,he killed 14,000 people,he got jailed only 35 years. Khmer in Phnom Thom commune.
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