Two former Khmer Rouge leaders began their second trial at a UN-backed court in Phnom Penh, Cambodia Wednesday on charges including genocide of Vietnamese people and ethnic Muslims, forced marriages and rape.
The first trial against 'Brother Number Two' Nuon Chea, 88, and former head of state Khieu Samphan, 83, was completed late last year, with the verdict -- and possible sentences -- set to be delivered on August 7.
At the opening hearing of the second trial, judge Nil Nonn read out the charges against both suspects, including genocide and other crimes against humanity, as more than 300 people watched the proceedings from the public gallery.
Nuon Chea did not attend for health reasons, while Khieu Samphan sat in court alongside his defence team. Both men deny all charges.
The mass killings of an estimated 100,000 to 500,000 ethnic Cham Muslims and 20,000 Vietnamese form the basis of the genocide charges against Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan.
Two other leaders, 'king' Pol Pot died in 1998 while co-founder Ieng Sary died early this year.
NOTE:More should stand trial, including former US president George Bush Sr and British former prime minister Tony Blair for their genocide in Iraq, Benjamin Netanyahu and few other Israeli leaders for their atrocity in Palestine, the Myanmar junta for mass murder of the Rohingya people. Who else? There are others, hate to name them!