Tribunal Judges Near End of Civil Party Review

Monday, 30 August 2010
Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh
Source:VOA News

Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, ECCC.Photo:AP

Investigating judges are nearly finished reviewing some 4,000 applications for civil party complaints in an upcoming trial for Khmer Rouge leaders.

Tribunal officials say they expect the review process to be finished by next week. That will determine which complainants can participate in Case 002 when it goes to trial as early as next year.

The investigating judges have determined that at least 58 complainants are admissable, and they are continuing to review a total 3,988 cases.

“We will know within the week when all the decisions have been made,” tribunal spokesman Lars Olsen said Monday.

In a statement, the investigating judges, You Bunleng and Marcel Lemonde, said they considered civil party complainants “central” to the tribunal process.

Civil party representatives said the tribunal should admit the majority of the 4,000 applicants for the sake of victims.

But judges say the admissibility of the complainants will be defined by whether they are within the scope of the investigation.