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Khmer Rouge Trial Verdict Expected in July

   Kong Sothanarith | Phnom Penh 24 May 2010

Photo: AP

   Former  Khmer  Rouge  prison  commander  Kaing Kek Iev , also known as
   "Duch" .

   The  Khmer  Rouge  tribunal  verdict  for Kaing Kek Iev, the notorious
   prison  chief better known as "Duch," will be announced July 26, court
   officials said Monday.

   The  verdict,  which follows months of trials that began in late March
   2009,  will  be  the  first of its kind for the UN-backed court, which
   currently has a delegation in New York to seek more funding.

   Duch,  now  67,  was the head of Tuol Sleng prison, where up to 16,000
   people  were  tortured and sent to their deaths. His trial, on charges
   of  war crimes, crimes against humanity, torture and murder, lasted 77
   days.

   At  the end of the trial, prosecutors asked for heavy condemnation for
   Duchâs crimes, as much as 40 years in prison.

   Trial  Chamber  judges  are  working on finishing the verdict, but the
   date has been set, tribunal spokesman Lars Olsen said Monday.

   âWe  expect  that  by  the end of July, everything will be ready to be
   handed down,â he said.

   Tribunal  spokesman  Reach  Sambath said the verdict was a âhistorical
   affairâ that needed time to be handled correctly.

   But  the  announcement  comes  as  a  delegation  is pushing for donor
   funding.  The  Cambodian  side  of  the court is facing dire financial
   circumstances,  and though donors have pledged another $85 million for
   two more years of court operation, few have transferred the money.

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