An UN-backed tribunal into the last two surviving leaders of the Khmer Rouge, who are accused of genocide over the mass killings of Vietnamese and Cham Muslims in the country in the 1970s, is to begin on Wednesday.
Former head of state 83-year-old Khieu Samphan, and 88-year-old Nuon Chea, Pol Pot's deputy, have already faced trials over charges of crimes against humanity and are due to have a verdict delivered on August 7th.
The complex trials were split into two smaller proceedings, due to the defendants' age. The only other person to have been prosecuted over the Khmer Rouge's crimes, which saw the death of approximately 2 million people from 1975-1979, was former prison official Duch in 2010.
Court spokesman Lars Olsen told AFP,
“The second trial is equally important as the first, and more victims and witnesses will have the opportunity to testify about their experiences and suffering during the Khmer Rouge regime, on a broader range of criminal allegations."
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