New Report Notes Lack of UN Response to Political Interference at Khmer Rouge Tribunal

The latest update on legal developments at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) from the Open Society Justice Initiative highlights the continuing lack of a response from the UN to the Cambodian government’s failure to support two additional cases brought before the court by its international co-investigating judge.

The 8-page report notes that that the ECCC has made steady progress in the Case 002.2 trial against Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea, and is now addressing genocide charges related to the treatment of Cham Muslims and ethnic Vietnamese by the Khmer Rouge.

Meanwhile, appeal proceedings in the first trial judgment against the same accused continue, with requests for, and the hearing of, additional testimony before the Supreme Court Chamber.

But while a fifth international co-investigating judge has been appointed to complete the investigations in Cases 003 and 004, there has as yet been no public information about the UN-announced “review” of political interference in the issuance of arrest warrants in the cases.

You can download and read the report here.

The Justice Initiative has been monitoring the work of the tribunal since before it began operations in 2007, as part of its work to ensure accountability for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.