Cambodia's war crimes tribunal releases former Khmer Rouge leader
Source: AP
Cambodia's war crimes tribunal set free a former leader of the Khmer Rouge on Sunday, upholding a decision that has outraged survivors seeking an explanation of the mass killings committed more than 30 years ago.
Ieng Thirith, 80, who has been declared mentally unfit for trial, was driven out of the UN-backed tribunal's compound by family members. She made no comment to reporters.
The Sorbonne-educated Shakespeare scholar served as social affairs minister during the Khmer Rouge's rule from 1975-79, during which an estimated 1.7 million people died of execution, medical neglect, overwork and starvation.
The tribunal initially announced its decision to free Ieng Thirith on Thursday, saying medical experts had determined there was no prospect for her to be tried due to a degenerative mental illness that was probably Alzheimer's disease.
Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/sep/16/khmer-roughe-leader-released
