PhnomPenhPost-Sept 15, 2022
Nearly a decade after the commencement of Case 002/02 against Khieu Samphan back in 2014, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) is now set to deliver its final verdict for the former Khmer Rouge head of state. The Supreme Court Chamber of the ECCC, commonly known as the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, will announce the verdict on September 22 at 9:30am. Samphan, now 91 and the only surviving Khmer Rouge leader awaiting the final verdict, has been indicted for crimes against humanity, grave breaches of the 1949 Geneva Convention and genocide. In Case 002/01, he was sentenced to life in prison for crimes against humanity, with part of the convictions quashed but life imprisonment upheld by the Supreme Court Chamber in November 2016. In November 2018, Samphan was convicted of genocide and grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions in Case 002/02. Although Samphan’s case has dragged on for more than a decade and he is now in his 90s, some young Cambodians believe the ECCC trial is crucial and will serve as a reminder of the past for the next generations. Eang Voleak, a fourth-year student in international relations, said it is long overdue. “No matter the verdict, he cannot go anywhere. Even though he is very old, and other powerful leaders of his generation have already passed away, it is still important to show that humanity has learned from this experience, both in terms of the atrocities and the judicial process,” he said.
Read more at: https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/final-verdicts-khmer-rouge-leaders-vital-next-generation
