Cambodian court upholds life terms for 2 Khmer Rouge leaders
PHNOM PENH -- A special Cambodian court on Wednesday upheld the life sentences for the two most senior surviving members of the Khmer Rouge regime, which was responsible for the deaths of 1.7 million people. The court said the massive scale of the crimes showed the two men's complete lack of consideration for the lives of the Cambodians.
The Supreme Court Chamber said the 2014 verdict by a UN-assisted Khmer Rouge tribunal was "appropriate" given the gravity of the crimes and roles of the two defendants -- Khieu Samphan, the 85-year-old Khmer Rouge head of state, and Nuon Chea, the 90-year-old right-hand man to the communist group's late leader Pol Pot.
The two men -- who were sentenced to life imprisonment for crimes against humanity including extermination, enforced disappearances and political persecution -- sat impassively as the lengthy verdict was read out. They were detained in 2007 and started serving their sentences in 2014 inside the Khmer Rouge tribunal's facility, where conditions are much better than ordinary Cambodian prison. They have access to radio and television.
