Genocide tribunal rejects bail appeal by former KR prison chief

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Genocide tribunal rejects bail appeal by former KR prison chief

The Genocide Cambodian-UN Tribunal has rejected the appeal of former Khmer Rouge S21 prison chief who asked for his release on bail as it fears Kaing Guek Ieu, alias Duch, could flee the trials.

It is because Duch could face life imprisonment if he is found guilty in the upcoming trial, expected to take place in June 2008, according to the Tribunal's ruling on Monday.

The verdict of the pretrial chamber of the Khmer Rouge tribunal said that "the judges of pretrial chamber decided unanimously to reject Duch's appeal for release on bail".

The pretrial chamber thinks that Duch's provisional detention is necessary in order to prevent him from putting pressure on the witnesses or destroying the evidence, added the detailed verdict which was read by Prak Kimsan, the president of the fivejudge pretrial chamber of the Khmer Rouge tribunal.

The verdict also said the tribunal feared that he would flee if he is released on bail because he used to flee from one place to another for his safety in the past.

Francois Roux, a defence lawyer of Duch, said that "I am disappointed because the pretrial chamber refused to consider the fact that Duch was detained by the Cambodian military court for more than eight years," added the defence lawyer. "We can not make appeal against this decision but we will raise it again when the trial starts in June next year," he added.

In the hearing, which was held on November 2021, the defence lawyers said that because their client was detained by the Cambodian military court for more than eight years without trial, Duch should be released on bail as compensation.

However, the pretrial chamber said that there is no connection between the Cambodian military court and the Khmer Rouge tribunal. More importantly, the Khmer Rouge tribunal is not competent to look at the legitimacy of the work of the military court.

After the president of the pretrial chamber finished reading the verdict, Duch walked passed the hearing room and smiled at the observers who were looking at him. He showed no panic to the verdict.

Chum Mey, a Cambodian victim of the Khmer Rouge, said that he supported the decision made by the pretrial chamber because the Khmer Rouge killed almost two million Cambodian people. Therefore, he shall not be released.

The Nation