Former Khmer Rouge second-in-command Nuon Chea had returned to the detention facility at the Khmer Rouge tribunal yesterday morning after nearly two and a half weeks in hospital, court legal communications officer Lars Olsen said.

“Obviously, his condition is improving since he’s been discharged, but further details I don’t have,” he said. Nuon Chea’s co-counsel, Son Arun, said his client “felt a little bit better” when he saw him yesterday morning, but was still suffering from back pain and limited mobility.

“I wanted him to stay there until he felt better than that, but the doctor said let him out,” Arun said, adding that his team would “see what happens”.

Nuon Chea was admitted to hospital with weakness and fatigue stemming from low blood pressure on February 2, just two days after being discharged from another two-week hospital stay in January.

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