Phnom Penh - The tribunal to bring former Khmer Rouge leaders to justice Wednesday announced it was ready to rule on the appeal against pre-trial detention of the commandant of the notorious S-21 torture centre. The special court said it would hand down its decision on whether or not to release Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Duch, by Monday.
Lawyers for Duch argued last week that his more than eight years of pre-trial detention violated his human rights and appealed for bail pending his trial on charges of crimes against humanity.
Prosecutors have countered that his release would allow him to access key witnesses against him and he may be a flight risk.
Up to 2 million Cambodians died during the 1975-79 Khmer Rouge regime, and up to 17,000 died after entering S-21, a former school in Phnom Penh converted into a prison.
