John Ciorciari quoted in Voice of America article about credibility of Khmer Rouge tribunal

October 24, 2011

John Ciorciari was quoted in a Voice of America (VOA) article, "Concern Mounts Over Credibility of the Court," about the UN-backed Khmer Rouge tribunal.

According to the article's author, the court's ability to manage these trials has come under question since two of the investigating judges, Siegfried Blunk and You Bunleng, publicly disagreed on the appropriateness of cases 003 and 004. The debate ended with Blunk's resignation in early October.

"The argument over cases 003 and 004 has already badly damaged the court's reputation, revealing internal rifts and political interference," Ciorciari told VOA. "It will be difficult to undo that damage. If cases 003 and 004 move forward, they will likely generate continued disagreement and interference and further delay the start of the most important trial, Case 002, which is increasingly in peril due to the age and ill health of the defendants."