PHNOM PENH - The Supreme Court Chamber of the Khmer Rouge tribunal has ruled that the UN-backed court cannot divide the cases of three men accused of atrocity crimes who are currently on trial together.
Supreme Court judges said the argument for doing so lacked clarity and reasoning, and that a division of the case was being done “without having given the parties sufficient opportunity to be heard.”
A lower court had sought to divide the case into three parts in September 2011, to speed up the trials of three aging leaders. The leaders—Noun Chea, Khieu Samphan and Ieng Sary—will remain bound in the same case, accused of crimes including genocide.
The Trial Chamber of the court had initially ruled that the case be divided, in hopes of expediting the trials, as the aging leaders continue to show signs of poor health.
A tribunal spokesman said the Trial Chamber of the court will hold hearings Feb. 18 and Feb. 19 to consider the Supreme Court’s decision.
Supreme Court judges said the argument for doing so lacked clarity and reasoning, and that a division of the case was being done “without having given the parties sufficient opportunity to be heard.”
A lower court had sought to divide the case into three parts in September 2011, to speed up the trials of three aging leaders. The leaders—Noun Chea, Khieu Samphan and Ieng Sary—will remain bound in the same case, accused of crimes including genocide.
The Trial Chamber of the court had initially ruled that the case be divided, in hopes of expediting the trials, as the aging leaders continue to show signs of poor health.
A tribunal spokesman said the Trial Chamber of the court will hold hearings Feb. 18 and Feb. 19 to consider the Supreme Court’s decision.
