Cambodia prosecutors seek added charges against Khmer Rouge leader

Devin Montgomer

[JURIST] Prosecutors before the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) [official website; JURIST news archive] on Thursday appealed [statement, PDF] the indictment of former Khmer Rouge prison chief Kaing Guek Eav [TrialWatch profile], also known as "Duch," saying it should have included additional charges. The court had issued a closing order [PDF text; JURIST report] earlier this month to officially indict Duch on charges of crimes against humanity and violations of the Geneva Conventions. In a statement [PDF text] responding to the appeal, the court made no comment other than to say that the appeal would delay the trial, which was to be tribunal's first since it was was established in 2006. Duch, who was in charge of the notorious S-21 prison in Phnom Penh, is one of five top leaders of the Khmer Rouge regime [JURIST news archive; BBC backgrounder] currently in ECCC custody. AFP has more. The Phnom Penh Post has local coverage.

In April, ECCC officials said that the court expected to complete its investigation [JURIST report] of Duch by July. Duch was arrested in 1999 on genocide charges and was subsequently charged with war crimes by a military court in March and with crimes against humanity [JURIST reports] by the ECCC in July. It is thought that those charges were brought to keep Duch in custody while the ECCC began its initial operations. A panel of ECCC judges ruled late last year that Duch should not be granted bail [JURIST report] while preparations for his trial continue.