The first Khmer Rouge commander to face a UN-backed tribunal was sentenced to 35 years in prison yesterday for overseeing 14,000 deaths in the 1970s, but he will serve about half that.
Former prison chief Kaing Guek Eav, known as “Comrade Duch,” received less than the maximum 40 years sought by the prosecution for his role in the regime blamed for 1.7 million deaths from 1975 to 1979.
Duch was found guilty of murder, torture, rape, crimes against humanity and other charges as chief of Tuol Sleng prison, a converted school known as S-21.
PHOTO: EPA
He betrayed no emotion as a judge read the verdict, which cut his sentence to 19 years for time already served. He could be released even earlier on parole if authorities believe he has been rehabilitated, the court said.
“We hoped this tribunal would strike hard at impunity, but if you can kill 14,000 people and serve only 19 years — 11 hours per life taken — what is that? It’s a joke,” said Theary Seng, who lost her father at S-21.
“My gut feeling is this has made the situation far worse for Cambodia,” she said. “It has taken a lot of faith out of the system and raised concerns of political interference.”
Duch had told the court he had no choice but to carry out orders. Prosecutors said he was “ideologically of the same mind” as the Khmer Rouge’s leaders and did nothing to stop rampant torture at his prison.
Some Cambodians wept after hearing the verdict, expressing outrage at the joint UN-Cambodian court, which has spent US$78.4 million in foreign donations to bring the first of five indicted Khmer Rouge officials to trial.
“There is no justice. I wanted life imprisonment for Duch,” said Hong Sovath, 47, sobbing.
Her father, a diplomat, was killed in the prison.
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