New Tang Dynasty Television
2010-07-26 11:10
The former Cambodian prison chief, best known by his alias "Comrade Duch", stood in court, as a U.N.-backed tribunal sentenced him to 35 years' jail, for war crimes committed during the Khmer Rouge regime, and for the role he played in the deaths of at least 14,000 people.
The 67-year-old was found guilty of murder, torture and crimes against humanity, as chief torturer of the notorious S-21 prison three decades ago.
The judge said the 35-year sentence took into account the fact that Duch had expressed remorse, and his potential for rehabilitation.
The sentence was cut by a further five years, to take into account time spent in detention in the lead up to the trial.
During the hearings, Duch told the court he accepted responsibility for his actions, but said he was only carrying out orders from the regime that fell in 1979.
It's the first verdict to be handed down since a quarter of Cambodia's population died during the period from starvation, disease, torture and execution.
Witnesses and survivors of the Maoist regime arrived early in the morning to get a seat in court to hear the verdict, which was less than the maximum 40 years sought by the prosecution, and of the life behind bars demanded by many Cambodians, who have struggled to find closure for one of the darkest chapters of the 20th century.
The 67-year-old was found guilty of murder, torture and crimes against humanity, as chief torturer of the notorious S-21 prison three decades ago.
The judge said the 35-year sentence took into account the fact that Duch had expressed remorse, and his potential for rehabilitation.
The sentence was cut by a further five years, to take into account time spent in detention in the lead up to the trial.
During the hearings, Duch told the court he accepted responsibility for his actions, but said he was only carrying out orders from the regime that fell in 1979.
It's the first verdict to be handed down since a quarter of Cambodia's population died during the period from starvation, disease, torture and execution.
Witnesses and survivors of the Maoist regime arrived early in the morning to get a seat in court to hear the verdict, which was less than the maximum 40 years sought by the prosecution, and of the life behind bars demanded by many Cambodians, who have struggled to find closure for one of the darkest chapters of the 20th century.
No comments:
Post a Comment