KRT closes pre-trial investigation of Duch

The Mekong Times
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Craig Guthrie

The Khmer Rouge Tribunal(KRT)'s prosecutors have completed gathering evi­dence for the case file of Ka-ing Guek Eav, alias Duch,
the chief of the regime's infamous S-21 detention center, bringing his public trial, the court's first, a step closer.

The file contains 900 pieces of evidence against Duch and supports the KRT's charges against him of crimes against humanity, grave breaches of the Gene­va Conventions, and torture and homicide, said a KRT
press release.

"This final submission ... should greatly assist the co-investigating judges in their drafting of the closing or­der, which will stand as the indictment against Duch before the Trial Chamber," added the co-prosecutors.

Since his arrest in July last year, Duch has been in­terviewed 27 times by the
co-investigating judges and has participated in two "re­constructions" where he was confronted by victims and former S-21 staff.

More than 63 witnesses have also been interviewed by the judges including surviving victims, former guards and background witnesses. "They have pro- vided a harrowing depiction of the crimes committed at S-21," said the KRT

KRT Deputy Administra­tor Knut Rosandhaug told The Mekong Times in June that he believes the trial of Duch will commence in Oc­tober. Duch will be the first to be tried of the five sus­pects detained by the court, and he has been investi­gated separately from the other four.

Extracted from The Mekong Times
Issue No. 117