Controversial KRT judge resigns

Co-investigating judge Siegfried Blunk is seen at the Khmer Rouge
tribunal on the outskirts of Phnom Penh in August. Photo by: HENG CHIVOAN

THE Khmer Rouge Tribunal’s international Co-Investigating Judge Siegfried Blunk has submitted his resignation to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.

His resignation is in reaction to repeated statements of government officials that the tribunal’s cases 003 and 004 will not go ahead.

“The Co-Investigating Judge will not let himself by influenced by such statements, (but) his ability to withstand such pressure by government officials and to perform his duties independently could always be called into doubt,” a press release from the court said today.

The press release pointed to high-profile statements by Prime Minister Hun Sen, the Information Minister and the Foreign Affairs Minister as evidence of continued pressure from the government to close cases 003 and 004.

New York-based Human Rights Watch last week called for Blunk and Cambodian Co-Investigating Judge You Bunleng to resign over alleged judicial misconduct in their investigations into cases 003 and 004.

At the time, court spokesman Lars Olsen said on behalf of the Co-Investigating Judges that they would continue to perform their duties “independently”. According to PPP