Khmer Rouge prison chief to appeal

Khmer Rouge prison chief Duch will appeal against his conviction by Cambodia’s UN-backed war crimes tribunal, his defence lawyer said Tuesday.

Reuters

Duch, whose real name is Kaing Guek Eav, was found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity by the court on Monday. The ruling has been hailed as a “historic milestone” in tackling impunity in Cambodia.

The 67-year-old was initially handed 35 years, but the court reduced his sentence to 30 years on the grounds that he had been detained illegally for years before the tribunal was established.

He is the first Khmer Rouge regime member to have faced an international tribunal over crimes committed during the 1975-1979 hard-line communist regime.

Led by “Brother Number One” Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge was responsible for some of the worst human atrocities of the 20^th century, wiping out nearly a quarter of Cambodia’s population through starvation, overwork and execution.

Many survivors and relatives of victims were upset by Monday’s verdict, which took into account the years Duch has served since his arrest in 1999, meaning he could walk free in about 19 years.

During his trial, Duch repeatedly apologised for overseeing the mass murder of 15,000 men, women and children at Tuol Sleng prison, also known as S-21. But he shocked the court in November by asking to be acquitted.