Testimony of the Accused: Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan Speak, While Ieng Sary Remains Silent

by Christine Evans, Clinical Fellow, Center for International Human Rights, Northwestern University School of Law (JD and LLM)
— 13 Dec, 2011

Trial 002 in the ECCC continued today with a spotlight on the accused. Although Nuon Chea took center stage for all of the morning session, the other two accused also spoke, albeit briefly, in front of the court in the afternoon session. While neither Ieng Sary nor Khieu Samphan agreed to respond to substantive questions at this time, Mr. Samphan did provide the court with a comprehensive response to the Closing Order paragraphs at question during this first phase of the trial, revealing a high level of understanding of the proceedings.

After a series of late starts the previous week, President Nil Nonn called the court to order promptly at 9 a.m. The president informed the parties and the public gallery, filled with the usual audience of students and villagers, that the health of witness Long Norin had not yet improved; therefore, the court would continue the questioning of the accused today. Unlike previous days of trial, no preliminary matters arose to delay the hearing of testimony, so the security guards were then instructed to take the accused Nuon Chea to the witness dock.

Nuon Chea informed the court that, despite the time to rest over the weekend, his health is still an issue. But, he stated, he would cooperate with the Trial Chamber to the best of his ability, seeking allowance to rest as needed. President Nonn responded that Mr. Chea would be questioned only for the morning session, taking into consideration his health condition, and that the court would call upon the other accused Ieng Sary and Khieu Samphan to testify during the afternoon session. The president then indicated that the court had noted how difficult it was for the accused to be moved to the dock and requested that, in the future, he be given a wheelchair…

Cambodia Tribunal Monitor’s Trial Observer posts are written according to the personal observations and opinions of the writer and do not constitute a transcript of ECCC proceedings or the views of Cambodia Tribunal Monitor and/or its partners. Official court transcripts for the ECCC’s hearings may be accessed at the ECCC website.