In a public statement issued yesterday, international reserve co-investigating judge Laurent Kasper-Ansermet said he has “grave concerns” about the lack of personal security for investigators in his office.

In a sharp rebuke, the UN-appointed judge said he disputed all of the “confused allegations” contained in his Cambodian counterpart You Bulneng’s lengthy retort to  Kasper-Ansermet’s own detailed note on the “egregious dysfunctions” at the Khmer Rouge tribunal.

The Swiss national highlighted You Bunleng’s public naming of an investigator in cases 003 and 004 as well as comments from the Cambodian chief of security at the court, as reported by the Post.

The judge said he must “seriously question” whether the government is complying with its obligations to “take all effective and adequate actions which may be required to ensure the security, safety and protection of persons referred to in the present agreement”.

Earlier this week, the Post reported that documents obtained indicated that Cambodian sources had told the tribunal’s security unit that the security of the international investigating team “could no longer be guaranteed”. 

The source went on to highlight that the suspects in cases 003 and 004 and their supporters are “dangerous people and this was the source of the danger”.

UN sources have told the Post they will shortly issue an announcement about the recent resignation of Kasper-Ansermet, who is the second international judge investigating government-opposed cases 003 and 004 to quit in six months.

To contact the reporter on this story: Bridget Di Certo at [email protected]