A UN-backed court has found the former head of a notorious Khmer Rougeprison guilty of war crime and crimes against humanity and sentenced himto 35 years imprisonment.
The ExtraordinaryChamber of the Cambodian Court (ECCC) on July 26 handed down thesentence to Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, who ran the prison S-21 and thetorture centre in Phnom Penh between 1975 and 1979, when the Khmer Rougewere in power.
Duch will have to serve 19 years inprison as the court took into account the 11 years he has already servedand another five years in recognition of his cooperation with thecourt.
This is the first verdict that the ECCC hasreturned on a former leader of the Khmer Rouge regime, that is blamedfor the deaths of at least 1.7 million Cambodians.
More than 15,000 people were tortured before being sent for execution at the Toul Sleng or S-21 prison and few survived.
A large number of Cambodians from all walks of life, survivors fromprison, Buddhist monks and journalists from both in and outside of thecountry flocked to the ECCC headquarters in Kandal province to witnessthe sentence, while over 10 million other Cambodians watched it ontelevision.
“Today is a historical day for all Cambodians,” said the ECCC’s spokesman Reach Sambath.
Four other Khmer Rouge leaders face charges of genocide and warcrimes. They include the group's top ideologist, Nuon Chea; the formerhead of State Khieu Samphan, former Foreign Minister Ieng Sary, and hiswife, former Social Affairs Minister Ieng Thirith./.
The ExtraordinaryChamber of the Cambodian Court (ECCC) on July 26 handed down thesentence to Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, who ran the prison S-21 and thetorture centre in Phnom Penh between 1975 and 1979, when the Khmer Rougewere in power.
Duch will have to serve 19 years inprison as the court took into account the 11 years he has already servedand another five years in recognition of his cooperation with thecourt.
This is the first verdict that the ECCC hasreturned on a former leader of the Khmer Rouge regime, that is blamedfor the deaths of at least 1.7 million Cambodians.
More than 15,000 people were tortured before being sent for execution at the Toul Sleng or S-21 prison and few survived.
A large number of Cambodians from all walks of life, survivors fromprison, Buddhist monks and journalists from both in and outside of thecountry flocked to the ECCC headquarters in Kandal province to witnessthe sentence, while over 10 million other Cambodians watched it ontelevision.
“Today is a historical day for all Cambodians,” said the ECCC’s spokesman Reach Sambath.
Four other Khmer Rouge leaders face charges of genocide and warcrimes. They include the group's top ideologist, Nuon Chea; the formerhead of State Khieu Samphan, former Foreign Minister Ieng Sary, and hiswife, former Social Affairs Minister Ieng Thirith./.
