Phnom Penh - A hearing for former Khmer Rouge head of state Khieu Samphan was unexpectedly adjourned Wednesday with the Cambodian genocide tribunal warning his attorney. Well-known French lawyer Jacques Verges - who has gained fame by representing such clients as Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie and Venezuelan terrorist Illich Ramirez Sanchez, better known as Carlos the Jackal - had refused to take further part in the hearing in Phnom Penh, saying that not all the court documents had been translated into French, which the tribunal disputed.
Khieu Samphan, 76, is charged along with four other former Khmer Rouge leaders with war crimes and crimes against humanity. At Wednesday's hearing, he was seeking to be released ahead of his trial.
Up to 2 million Cambodians died during the 1975-79 Khmer Rouge regime in its drive to transform Cambodia into a classless agrarian utopia.
Khieu Samphan has repeatedly dismissed all charges against him, saying he was ignorant of the inner workings of the regime and was not included in decision making.
He has been in custody since his arrest in November.
