Duch Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison; Will Serve only 19
Today—35 years, three months, and nine days after the Khmer Rouge entered Phnom Penh and 31 years, six months, and nineteen days after they were driven out by Vietnamese forces—Kaing Guek Eav (alias Duch), the infamous chief of Tuol Sleng prison (S-21), became the first Khmer Rouge held accountable for his crimes in a court of law meeting international fair trial standards. This morning, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) sentenced Duch to 35 years in prison. Over one thousand Cambodians of all ages and backgrounds arrived early in the morning to the gates of the ECCC to witness the pronouncement of the judgment. Some gathered in the courtyard of the ECCC to watch screens delivering a live feed of the judgment, while others who had received prior access proceeded directly to the courtroom. Visitors filing into the courtyard of the tribunal were met by a host of reporters from international and national media outlets, marking the great significance of this moment for Cambodia and for the international cause of accountability for atrocity crimes.
The public viewing gallery of the courtroom was filled with a diverse crowd: civil parties like the few survivors of Tuol Sleng and relatives of those tortured and sentenced to death at the prison, their families, villagers from across Cambodia, orange-robed monks, foreign dignitaries, and national and international members of the press and human rights non-governmental organizations. A group of about fifteen civil parties—several of whom had attended nearly all of the proceedings—sat behind their lawyers in the courtroom, facing Duch and his lawyer. Noticeably absent from the courtroom was Francois Roux, Duch’s international defense counsel, who had been swiftly and suddenly relieved of his position two weeks ago after Duch informed the Defense Support Section that he had lost confidence in Roux’s ability to provide adequate representation…
Read more: ctm_blog_7-26-2010