Cambodia's Khmer Rouge Court Must Fully Investigate Case 003

Top row: You Bunleng (L) and Siegfried Blunk (R)
Bottom row: Chea Leang (L) and Andrew Cayley (R)

Press Release
Date: May 3, 2011
Contact: Jonathan Birchall
jbirchall@justiceinitiative.org
1-212-347-6958
Source: http://www.soros.org/initiatives/justice/focus/international_justice/news/cambodia-eccc-20110429

PHNOM PENH—The Open Society Justice Initiative is calling on the co-prosecutors at the United Nations-backed Khmer Rouge tribunal in Cambodia to ensure the fullest possible investigation into two former senior Khmer Rouge commanders who are the subjects of its third proposed case.

The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), which combines international and local judicial staff, said on Friday April 29th that its two co-investigating judges, Siegfried Blunk and You Bunleng, had closed their investigation into the tribunal’s third case (Case 003).

The court's co-prosecutors now have until May 14 to call for further investigative actions, before the co-investigating judges decide whether or not the suspects should face trial.

Case 003 is believed to involve Sou Met, the former commander of the Khmer Rouge air force, and Meas Mut, the commander of the navy, and involves allegations of murder, torture, unlawful detention, forced labour and persecution. A fourth proposed case, involving three more suspects, is still being considered by the co-investigating judges.