This week the Trial Chamber resumed proceedings after a one week break to mark the traditional Pchum Ben holiday, and a further week’s pause due to flooding in the court compound which made it impossible to hold hearings. From Monday to Wednesday this week, clinical psychologist and medical anthropologist Dr. Peg Levine testified as an expert witness on the regulation of marriage. The Trial Chamber extended the time allotted to Parties to question the Expert after her testimony sparked an interesting debate in the courtroom around the use of the term “forced” to describe DK marriages. On Wednesday afternoon, Civil Party Ms. Pen Sochan testified about being raped by her husband in Bakan District, Pursat Province, after events she had previously detailed in the documentary Red Wedding, produced by Lida Chan and Guillaume Suon. After the conclusion of Pen Sochan’s testimony, Witness Cheal Choeun began to testify about purges in the Northwest Zone. The Nuon Chea Defense had initially requested this Witness, but international counsel attempted to withdraw him from the witness list on Monday this week. The Trial Chamber denied the request, and decided to hear his testimony as scheduled. Cheal Choeun will conclude his testimony next week.
KRT Trial Monitor No. 69 – Hearings on Evidence Week 66 (10-13 October 2016)
