AP
2008-05-02
PHNOM PENH, May 2 (Kyodo) - The U.N. backed Khmer Rouge tribunal has decided to allow two married former Khmer Rouge leaders conjugal visits while being held in detention before trial.
In a statement Friday, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia said the Pre-trial Chamber decided that Ieng Sary would be allowed to meet with his wife, following an appeal by his co-lawyers for conjugal visits.
"Charged with crimes against humanity, the married couple's separation since Nov. 19 by the court's co-investigating judges was not properly justified and affected their right to be treated humanely," the five-judge Pre-Trial Chamber said.
"The charged persons Ieng Sary and Ieng Thirith have been married for 57 years. The alleged crimes were committed 30 years ago, so the charged persons have had all that time to discuss any matter related to such allegations," the judges stated in the six-page statement.
"In these circumstances, it is not clear to the Pre-Trial Chamber how limiting contact between the two charged persons protects the interest of the investigation," the judges added.
On March 25, Ang Udom and Michael Karvavas, co-defense lawyers for Ieng Sary, argued their client had had numerous rights violated, including "the right to a family life."
Ieng Sary, who was foreign minister, and his wife, who was education minister and social affairs minister in the Pol Pot government, were arrested in November last year.
Ieng Sary, 83, was charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity while his wife, 76, charged with crimes against humanity.
They have been held separately at the detention center.
Heng Hak, director general of prisons at the Ministry of Interior who also overseas the ECCC detention facility, said there is no rule stating "a prisoner can meet a prisoner.
"But the rule does allow visits by family members, he added.Reach Sambath, the ECCC spokesman, told Kyodo News that since March 21, the couple had been allowed to meet briefly three or four times, but only in the daytime.
The Khmer Rouge is blamed for the deaths of at least 1.7 million Cambodians in the late 1970s.
2008-05-02
PHNOM PENH, May 2 (Kyodo) - The U.N. backed Khmer Rouge tribunal has decided to allow two married former Khmer Rouge leaders conjugal visits while being held in detention before trial.
In a statement Friday, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia said the Pre-trial Chamber decided that Ieng Sary would be allowed to meet with his wife, following an appeal by his co-lawyers for conjugal visits.
"Charged with crimes against humanity, the married couple's separation since Nov. 19 by the court's co-investigating judges was not properly justified and affected their right to be treated humanely," the five-judge Pre-Trial Chamber said.
"The charged persons Ieng Sary and Ieng Thirith have been married for 57 years. The alleged crimes were committed 30 years ago, so the charged persons have had all that time to discuss any matter related to such allegations," the judges stated in the six-page statement.
"In these circumstances, it is not clear to the Pre-Trial Chamber how limiting contact between the two charged persons protects the interest of the investigation," the judges added.
On March 25, Ang Udom and Michael Karvavas, co-defense lawyers for Ieng Sary, argued their client had had numerous rights violated, including "the right to a family life."
Ieng Sary, who was foreign minister, and his wife, who was education minister and social affairs minister in the Pol Pot government, were arrested in November last year.
Ieng Sary, 83, was charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity while his wife, 76, charged with crimes against humanity.
They have been held separately at the detention center.
Heng Hak, director general of prisons at the Ministry of Interior who also overseas the ECCC detention facility, said there is no rule stating "a prisoner can meet a prisoner.
"But the rule does allow visits by family members, he added.Reach Sambath, the ECCC spokesman, told Kyodo News that since March 21, the couple had been allowed to meet briefly three or four times, but only in the daytime.
The Khmer Rouge is blamed for the deaths of at least 1.7 million Cambodians in the late 1970s.
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