What is the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia?

By Emanuele del Rosso

The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) – commonly referred as the Khmer Rouge Tribunal or Cambodia Tribunal – is a hybrid court established in 1997 to try the most senior Khmer Rouge leaders for alleged violations of international law and serious crimes perpetrated during the Cambodian genocide.

The Khmer Rouge ruled from 1975 to 1979. After the fall of the Khmer Rouge, civil war broke out in Cambodia. The war finally came to an end in 1998, when the regime’s political and military structures were dismantled.

At least 1.7 million people are believed to have died from starvation, torture, execution and forced labour during the rule of the Khmer Rouge.

The ECCC has been investigating four cases. So far, one person has been convicted.

 

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