ECCC, Case 002/01, Issue 46

Case 002/01

ECCC

Cambodia

English

This week, the Court finished hearing the testimony of Mr. Hun Chhunly and heard the complete testimonies of Witness Phan Van and Civil Party Denise Affonço. The Court also began hearing the testimony of Mr. Suon Kanil on Friday, who will resume his testimony next week. The examination of Witnesses Phan Van and Suon Kanil, who both served as telegram decoders in the DK period, offered a glimpse into the communication structures of the regime, especially telegram communication. The Civil Party offered a captivating and at times heart-wrenching description of her experience under the Khmer Rouge, especially during the first and second phases of evacuation.

This week was also filled with unprecedented courtroom drama. First, international counsel for Nuon Chea, Mr. Andrew Ianuzzi, objected to Judge Jean-Marc Lavergne’s questions to the Witness Phan Van, prompting a ruling that counsel may not object to questions posed by members of the bench. In what became the defining moment of this week’s proceedings, Ianuzzi was expelled and escorted from the courtroom for repeatedly ignoring the Trial Chamber’s warnings about his conduct throughout his examination of Phan Van. This was the first and only time since the ECCC began operating that a lawyer was physically removed from the courtroom.