Groups Want Khieu Samphan Health Status

By Mean Veasna, VOA Khmer Original report from Phnom Penh06 June 2008

One day after his return to Khmer Rouge tribunal detention from the hospital, Khieu Samphan's health condition remains unclear, two rights officials said.

"We learned that he had been brought back to detention not very healthy," said Hisham Mousar, a tribunal monitor for Adhoc. "We ask for some clarification [from the tribunal] for the detailed information related to Khieu Samphan's health for the public interest."

Long Panhavuth, project officer of the Open Society Justice Initiative, agreed. "Co-investigating judges must provide enough information to the public to explain the cause, the reason...especially of the five charged persons," he said. "If not, in case they die, the court will be blamed for the situation of the health."

Hisham Mousar said he wanted to information on the health of the detained, especially Khieu Samphan, in case they were in a critical situation and need be sent to a foreign country for treatment.

Tribunal spokesman Peter Foster said Friday Khieu Samphan had undergone a variety of tests, but the results were not yet available. The tribunal keeps medical personnel on stand-by and specialists ready to fly in from outside the country if required.

Sy Bory, lawyer for Khieu Samphan, declined detailed comment on his client's health Friday morning, but he said Khieu Samphan could move his hands and was moving around in a wheelchair.

He was confident in the decisions of the doctors, Sy Bory said