The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Former Khmer Rouge leaders guilty of genocide
Court: Tribunal convicts last Cambodian chiefs
The last surviving leaders of the Khmer Rouge that ruled Cambodia in the 1970s have been convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes by an international tribunal.
Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan were sentenced to life in prison, the sentence they are already serving after earlier convictions for crimes against humanity.
Both men suggested they were targets of political persecution.
The verdict ruled the Khmer Rouge committed genocide against the Vietnamese and Cham Muslim minorities.
The court found Khieu Samphan not guilty of genocide against the Cham, for lack of evidence, but he was found guilty of genocide against the Vietnamese under the principle of joint command responsibility.
The crimes against humanity convictions covered activities at work camps and co-operatives established by the Khmer Rouge.
These offences comprised murder, extermination, deportation, enslavement, imprisonment, torture, persecution on political, religious and racial grounds, attacks on human dignity, enforced disappearances, forced transfers, forced marriages and rape.
Both defendants were present as Judge Nil Nonn opened the proceedings.
Khieu Samphan, 87, was present for the entire hearing and with the help of two security guards stood as his sentence was read, showing no obvious emotion.
Lah Sath, 72, a Cham man from Kampong Cham province, brought his wife and four granddaughters to the session.
Mr Sath said his younger brother was killed by Khmer Rouge for failing to take good care of a cow.
In addition to Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan, the tribunal has carried out one other prosecution that, in 2010, saw the conviction of Kaing Guek Eav, who as head of the Khmer Rouge prison system ran the infamous Tuol Sleng torture centre in Phnom Penh.
There are fears politics will thwart the tribunal undertaking further prosecutions. Cambodia’s prime minister Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge cadre, has declared he will allow no further cases.