- Title: Cambodia court upholds life sentences for former Khmer Rouge leaders
- Date: 23rd November 2016
- Summary: PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA (NOVEMBER 23, 2016) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF THE EXTRA ORDINARY CHAMBER IN THE COURT OF CAMBODIA (ECCC) BUILDING COURT SIGN THAT READ "COURT ROOM" CAMBODIA FLAG (RIGHT) AND UNITED NATIONS FLAG (LEFT) SURVIVORS WALKING IN THE COURT ROOM COURT HANDOUT THAT READS "THE KHMER ROUGE TRIALS" EXTERIOR OF THE DETENTION CENTER AT THE ECCC A POLICEMAN STAND GUARDING AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE DETENTION CENTER CAR CARRYING THE FORMER KHMER ROUGE LEADERS TO THE COURT ROOM A JUDGE WALKING TO THE COURT ROOM SECURITY GUARD STAND WATCHING WHILE JUDGE, PROSECUTOR WALKING IN THE COURT ROOM
- Embargoed: 8th December 2016 05:00
- Keywords: Cambodia Khmer Rouge appeal life sentence uphold
- Location: PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA
- City: PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA
- Country: Cambodia
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Judicial Process/Court Cases/Court Decisions
- Reuters ID: LVA00159NZ7LX
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS FOOTAGE WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3
The UN-backed tribunal in Cambodia on Wednesday (November 23) upheld a lower court's life sentences for two former Khmer Rouge leaders convicted of crimes against humanity.
The two leaders were sentenced to life in prison by the lower court on August 8, 2014.
Khieu Samphan, the former Khmer Rouge President and Nuon Chea, the former Khmer Rouge National Assembly Chairman, also known as "Brother Number Two", were handed life sentences for their part in the forced evacuations, murders and executions of Cambodians in the 1970s "Killing Fields" revolution.
On September 15th, 2010, Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea were indicted on charges related to crimes against humanity, genocide and grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 in what is referred to as Case 002.
Case 002/01 is the first of at least two trials against Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea.
The majority of Cambodians alive now were born after the bloody era and they embrace the capitalism the Khmer Rouge deplored. Their Cambodia has enjoyed unprecedented peace and development since the late 1990s, but judgment upon Pol Pot's henchmen is still significant for most people.
Experts say high-profile figures in present day Cambodian politics fear they could be implicated in defendants' testimony.
The decade-old tribunal has delivered guilty verdicts to only three defendants, two of whom are Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea. Two other cases are strongly opposed by the Cambodian government, police and national investigating judge, who have been unwilling to cooperate with the tribunal.
Between 1.7 million and 2.2 million people are believed to have died under the Khmer Rouge.
Most of the victims died of starvation, torture, exhaustion or disease in labor camps or were bludgeoned to death during mass executions at "killing fields" across the country. Led by Pol Pot, the regime sought to turn Cambodia back to "year zero" in its quest for a peasant utopia.
Pol Pot, "Brother Number One", died in 1998. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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