John Ciorciari was quoted in an Associated Press story appearing in the Washington Post about the first sentencing of the United Nations-backed tribunal against Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch. Duch, the Khmer Rouge's chief jailer, was convicted of crimes against humanity and will only serve 19 of his 35-year sentence.
While many are disappointed in the relative 'lightness' of the sentence, some think it may help in the second, more legally complicated, trial against four of the Khmer Rouge's top leaders. "I hope the Duch verdict will encourage him to participate as a useful witness in the second case," Ciorciari told the AP. "At this stage, there is little sign that the Case No. 2 defendants will break ranks, speak openly, and express contrition. They are considerably older than Duch and may have less to gain from a modest sentence given their shorter life expectancies," Ciorciari said.
[Watch Ciorciari's U-M vodcast to learn more about the Khmer Rouge tribunal.]
John Ciorciari quoted in Washington Post article, "Khmer Rouge jailer faces 19 years for 16,000 dead"
July 27, 2010