Appointment of New Cambodian Co-Lawyer for Khieu Samphan

On 22nd July 2008 the Defence Support Section (DSS) of the ECCC assigned Dr Sa Sovan as the new Cambodian Co-Lawyer for Khieu Samphan, replacing Dr Say Bory who was forced to resign from the case due to ill health.

Dr Sa has been a member of the Bar Association of the Kingdom of Cambodia since 2001, and is also a member of the Bar Council. He received his doctorate from Paris II University of Laws in 1972. Prior to joining the Cambodian Bar he held a number of positions, including as senior legal adviser of the Cambodian National Assembly, professor of Civil Law and as an expert within the Ministry of Justice. He has been involved in legal education for many years, and has published widely in both French and Khmer on legal issues including criminal procedure, international law and commercial law.

Reach Sambath
Presss Officer
Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia
Tel: (855) 12 891 567
Fax: (855) 23 219 841
Email: reach.sambath@eccc.gov.kh, reachsambath@hotmail.com
Web: http://www.eccc.gov.kh

Khieu Samphan Yet to Select New Co-Lawyer

Chan Chamnan

Khieu Samphan, former Khmer Rouge State Presidium president, who has been detained at the special tribunal, is seeking a new Cambodian lawyer to represent him, according to a Khmer Rouge tribunal’s official.  Tribunal’s spokesman Reach Sambath claimed that up to present Khieu Samphan had not made any official decision to select a new co-lawyer to replace Dr. Say Bory yet.

Youth from Communities in Six Provinces Explores the Truth of the Khmer Rouge Regime

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Phnom Penh: Standing in Tuol Sleng Museum in the afternoon of July 10, a beautifully dark young girl with curly hair seemed to be taken aback as Reasmei Kampuchea’s reporter asked her for an interview.

The girl named, Ek Thyda, 17, a student in grade 8 of Hun Sen Prasout High School, lives in Tuol Trabaek village, Prasout commune, Svay Teab district, Svay Rieng province.

Ieng Thirith Not Remanded on Bail

By: La Yom

The Khmer Rough tribunal’s Pre-Trial Chamber (PTC) on 09 July 2008 issued a verdict in favor of the co-prosecutors’ decision to continue to put Ieng Thirith, wife of Ieng Sary, in provisional detention cell.

Her co-defense lawyers criticized the announcement of decision was not acceptable. The PTC denied any proposed condition, but accused her of being most responsible in the Democratic Kampuchea (DK) era.

PTC, presided over by President Prak Kimsan, released the decision on Thirith’s appeal, saying that the decision was unanimously made and is not subject to appeal and Ieng Thirith, former DK Social Affairs Minister, continued her term in provisional detention facilities, said Reach Sambath, KRT’s spokesman.

Media Alert: ECCC Pre-Trial Chamber Dismisses Appeal of Ieng Thirith

The Pre-Trial Chamber, in a unanimous decision announced this morning, has dismissed the appeal against provisional detention by Ieng Thirith. The decision, a summary of which was read publicly by Judge Prak Kimsan, will be published on the website of the ECCC in the next 24 hours.

Reach Sambath
Presss Officer
Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia
Tel: (855) 12 891 567
Fax: (855) 23 219 841
Email: reach.sambath@eccc.gov.kh, reachsambath@hotmail.com
Web: http://www.eccc.gov.kh

Seriously Ill Ieng Sary Appears Before Court

Sophal

The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) conducted the hearing of appeal against the provisional detention by Ieng Sary on June 30 while he is in a critical condition which he could not sit and listen in the hearing.

Reach Sambath, spokesman for the tribunal to try former Khmer Rouge leaders, said that there were approximately 500 people and international guests on the opening day of the appeal hearing by Ieng Sary against his provisional detention, adding that the people had been invited from various provinces. “Yesterday morning, Ieng Sary was not well and could not sit for long, [so] he was placed to rest in a room near the court room,” he said.

Khmer Rouge Attempting To Wipe Out Ethnic Minorities in Cambodia (END)

(Continued from the previous issue)
Based on the crimes that Khmer Rouge committed and on the suggestions of Cambodian people, the Khmer Rouge tribunal should sentence Khmer Rouge leaders in response to the ruthless crimes that they committed at the end of 20 century. This does not include the ruthless killing on Vietnamese people who lived in Cambodia. Pol Pot regarded those people as their number one enemy.

The trial of Ieng Sary will be held on June 30, 2008

The extraordinary Chambers in Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) has scheduled to hold the appeal against provisional detention by Ieng Sary, the former deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs of the Khmer Rouge regime, on June 30. On Thursday, June 26, the ECCC announced that the trial was allowed to be publicly lived on radio and TV.

An official of the ECCC said on the condition of anonymity that the trial on the appeal against the provisional detention of Ieng Sary on June 30, 2008 will be closely observed by the both local and international observers because this trial appear in parallel to the request for the budget of the ECCC ended at the end of 2009. Therefore, if this trial runs smoothly unlike the trial of Ieng Thirith and Khieu Samphan, the international community and donor countries will surely donate the money to the ECCC in the very near future.

The anonymous official further mentioned that the civil societies and independent observers will closely observe the trial because Ang Oudom, Ieng Sary’s lawyer, said his client is seriously ill and cannot sit for long hours in the court. The civil societies and independent observers are anxious to know about Ieng Sary’s health condition because so far the tribunal seems to try to hide the suspects’ health condition.

The trial of Ieng Thirith will be on April 21, 2008 while the trial of Khieu Samphan will be on April 23, 2008

A month after a hearing, on Thursday the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia decided to reject the appeal against the provisional detention of Noun Chea, the president of the National Assembly and the second brother of the Khmer Rouge regime. Judge Prak Kimsan, the head of the pre-trial chamber, told reporters after the announcement of the verdict on March 20, 2008 that the tribunal has a well-founded reason to continue the provisional detention of Noun Chea. “We have a well-founded reason to continue the provisional detention and reject the appeal against it,” said Judge Prak Kimsan. Wearing a short sleeve shirt and standing with a cane at the dock, Noun Chea was not allowed to say anything while the judge read out the verdict.

PRESS STATEMENT

Dr Say Bory has resigned from his position as Cambodian Co-Lawyer for Khieu Samphan due to his concern that he would not be able to represent Mr Khieu through to the conclusion of the trial for reasons of ill health. It was considered safer to instruct a new Cambodian lawyer sooner rather than later, in order to give the new lawyer as much time as possible to prepare the case.

The Defence Support Section (DSS) and Dr Say have met with Khieu Samphan to discuss his legal representation and it is expected that a new Cambodian Co-Lawyer will be selected shortly.

Dr Say will continue to represent Mr Khieu whilst he transfers the case to the new Cambodian Co-Lawyer.

Reach Sambath
Presss Officer
Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia
Tel: (855) 12 891 567
Fax: (855) 23 219 841
Email: reach.sambath@eccc.gov.kh, reachsambath@hotmail.com
Web: http://www.eccc.gov.kh

Ieng Sary’s appeal hearing adjourned

By Craig Guthrie

Former Khmer Rouge (KR) Foreign Minister Ieng Sary, frequently the sole diplomatic voice of the isolationist KR regime, yesterday had his appeal for release from the Khmer Rouge Tribunal (KRT) adjourned amid fears it was endangering his allegedly precarious state of health.