PHNOM PENH: EAC News needs to set the record straight. It’s been brought to our attention that our story on Tuesday in which we stated that the Extraordinary Chamber in the Courts of Cambodia would “permanently close” at the end of 2022, is in fact, incorrect. While it is true that the National Assembly has approved a draft law that paves the way for the court’s closure and that legal proceedings are expected to have been concluded by the end of 2022, the court will then move into a transition period while it winds down operations. This process is expected to take a few years. EAC News regrets the error. A clarification appears below:
According to the 25 October National Assembly's plenary session, the Minister in charge of the Office of the Council of Ministers, Bin Chhin, confirmed that the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, commonly referred to as the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, is scheduled to end legal proceedings in 2022. There are still a number of issues that the United Nations and Cambodia need to review together, though, requiring an additional three years or more to be completed, called the post-transition period.
He says, “The ECCC is nearing an end in 2022 in Case 002/02 against Khieu Samphan and two other appeals, Case 003 against Meas Muth and Case 004 against Yim Tith. Based on the past experience and practice of other ICCs, after completing all court proceedings, the Royal Government of Cambodia and the United Nations agree that the ECCC must perform some of its remaining important functions. There are a number of employees that are proportional to their reduced function. Accordingly, the two sides discussed the transition work for the termination of the Extraordinary Chambers”.
