The Khmer Rouge tribunal held a closed-door meeting to discuss procedures for keeping tabs on the health of co-accused Ieng Sary on Wednesday, shutting out the ex-foreign minister’s  defence team as well, said Sary co-counsels Ang Udom and Michael Karnavas yesterday. 

In a public letter filed to the court, the lawyers write that additional monitoring steps requested by the defence – including allowing Sary’s nurse to record her observations with a tape recorder – were quashed. 

A press release issued by the defence yesterday said the exclusion was “abhorrent and inconsistent with Mr Ieng Sary’s fair trial rights,” and further called into question the tribunal’s distinction as a “model court”.

To contact the reporter on this story: Stuart White at [email protected]