Posted by: in The KR Tribunal Report on May 17, 2008
In the most recent edition of the Post, Cat Barton examines the question of Ieng Thirith's sanity. The former Democratic Kampuchea social affairs minister is scheduled to go before the court this Wednesday to appeal her pre-trial detention.
Thirith's lawyer claims he has Thai-language medical documents that prove his client is not mentally fit to stand trial.
Given some of the defendants' advanced ages, the question of mental competence will no doubt continue to plague the tribunal. The Pre-Trial Chamber rejected Nuon Chea's request last month for an independent psychiatric evaluation. According to press accounts, Nuon has claimed his "thinking is unclear" and "his brain [is] not normal," the Open Society Justice Initiative reported.
The judges determined that Nuon's fitness to stand trial was not an issue at this point because an indictment is not imminent, according to OSJI.