Trial Monitoring

ECCC, Case 002/02, Issue 15

April 03, 2015
ECCC, Case 002/02, Issue 15
Publication Documents
Case or Series

Case 002/02

Case or Series

ECCC

Country

Cambodia

Language

English

In the final week of hearings before the Khmer New Year holiday, the Trial Chamber heard the statements of suffering of eight Civil Parties related to the harm they suffered under the DK regime. The Civil Parties appeared over two and a half days of victim impact hearings, which were scheduled as the trial segment on Tram Kak District cooperatives and Kraing Ta Chan Security Center nears its completion. The eight men and women who appeared spoke of their experiences in rural cooperatives in Tram Kak District, their maltreatment under the Khmer Rouge authorities, and the loss of family members. The Chamber also heard the witness testimony of Mr. Richard Dudman, an American journalist, via video link to the United States. He mostly discussed his experience visiting Democratic Kampuchea in December 1978 alongside Elizabeth Becker, an expert witness who testified in February 2015. However, his memory loss linked to old age inhibited him from providing many details in his responses. In the days preceding the victim impact hearings, the Chamber also dealt with legal arguments concerning the probative value of Civil Party statements of suffering in establishing facts or evidence of crimes. With the conclusion of hearings this week, the Trial Chamber adjourned proceedings until 21 April 2015, to allow Parties more time to review the recent evidentiary disclosures from the investigations in Cases 003 and 004, and also due to a previously scheduled judicial recess to mark the Khmer New Year holiday.