Phnom Penh (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Everything is ready in Cambodia for the second trial against Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea, the last two leaders of the Khmer Rouge regime still alive.
The Special Tribunal of the United Nations has put them on trial on charges of genocide related to killings of Vietnamese and Cham Muslim minorities.
Both are already on trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity. A verdict in this case is expected on 7 August. Prosecutors are seeking life sentences for the two former leaders.
The cases relate to Khmer Rouge regime, which ruled from 1975 to 1979, but many senior government officials are either dead or in such poor health that they cannot be prosecuted.
So, in this case, proceedings were split to expedite the procedure. This way, the Special Tribunal hopes to end the trial in time to see the defendants begin to serve their sentence.
Under the Communist government, Khieu Samphan was head of state, whilst Nuon Chea was Pol Pot's deputy.
Cambodia still bears the wounds of the rule of the murderous Khmer Rouge that brought death and destruction under Pol Pot.
In a few years, the regime wiped out - by starvation or in the infamous Killing Fields, death camps on the outskirts of Phnom Penh - nearly two million people (about one quarter of the population). Many of the victims were intellectuals, doctors, teachers and members of the cultural elite.
However, critics point out that the UN Tribunal, criticised for corruption and inefficiency, is only targeting - in part - the symbols of the regime but not guaranteeing real justice to the Cambodian people.
Pol Pot died in 1998 due to illness and was never tried or prosecuted for atrocities committed under his command.
Many lower ranking officials and members of the Maoist movement executive are still free and in many cases have important roles of government.