Former Khmer Rouge leader arrested by UN-backed tribunal in Cambodia
The United Nations-backed tribunal in Cambodia trying Khmer Rouge leaders accused of mass killings and other crimes
three decades ago announced today that a former head of State of the country has been arrested and brought before the
court.
Khieu Samphan, who served as president of Democratic Kampuchea, as Cambodia was then known, between 1976 and 1979, was
arrested after co-investigating judges at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) issued an arrest
warrant.
The ECCC has not released any details of any charges against Mr. Samphan, who becomes the fifth person to be brought
before the tribunal.
In a press release the court announced that its defence support section has assigned two lawyers to Mr. Samphan's case
while it assesses whether he can pay for his legal team for the next two years. They are Say Bory of the Cambodian Bar
and Jacques Vergès, a French lawyer.
Under an agreement signed by the UN and Cambodia, the ECCC was set up as an independent court using a mixture of
Cambodian staff and judges and foreign personnel. It is designated to try those deemed most responsible for crimes and
serious violations of Cambodian and international law between 17 April 1975 and 6 January 1979, when up to three million
people perished at the hands of the Khmer Rouge.
ENDS