Ieng Thirith

Ieng Thirith graduated from the Lycée Sisowath in Phnom Penh then went to study in Paris, where she majored in Shakespeare studies at the Sorbonne.

She became the first Cambodian to receive a degree in English Literature. Returning to Cambodia in 1957, she worked as a professor before founding a private English school in 1960.

On 9 October 1975, at a meeting of the CPK Standing Committee, Ieng Thirith was allegedly appointed Minister of Social Affairs in Democratic Kampuchea.

She allegedly remained with the Khmer Rouge until her husband Ieng Sary was granted a Royal amnesty and pardon in 1996. Thereafter, they lived together in Phnom Penh until being placed in pre-trial detention by the ECCC in November 2007.

Photo


Alias
Phea
Date of Birth
Place of birth
Phnom Penh
Arrested date
Defence counsel
Phat Pouv Seang (Cambodia) & Diana Ellis (United Kingdom)
Alleged Position in Democratic Kampuchea

Minister of Social Affairs
Status of case

Ieng Thirith passed away on 22 August 2015. She had been found unfit to stand trial, and the Trial Chamber has stayed the proceedings against her. She was released from provisional detention on 16 September 2012.

Ieng Thirth was indicted and sent to trial for crimes against humanity, Grave Breaches of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and genocide; offences which are defined and punishable under Articles 4,5, 6, 29 (New) and 39 (New) of the Law on the Establishment of the Extraordinary Chambers as amended 27 October 2004.

The Trial Chamber found Ieng Thirith unfit to stand trial and order her release On 17 November 2011. The order for release was overturned by the Supreme Court Chamber who ordered that an new assessment of her fitness to stand trial should be conducted within six months following medical treatment.

In a decision issued on 13 September 2012, the Trial Chamber unanimously found that Ieng Thirith remains unfit to trial. The Chamber consequently ordered a stay of the proceedings and ordered the release of Ieng Thirith.

The Supreme Court Chamber subsequently imposed a regime of judicial supervision.
Key indictment allegations
Ieng Thirith is alleged to be directly responsible for having planned, instigated, and
aided and abetted:
  • Crimes against humanity (murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation, imprisonment, torture, persecution on political and racial grounds, and other inhumane acts)
  • Genocide, by killing members of the Vietnamese community
  • Grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 (willful killing, torture or inhumane treatment, willfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health, willfully depriving a prisoner of war or civilian the rights of fair and regular trial, unlawful deportation or unlawful confinement of a civilian)
Ieng Thirith is alleged to be directly responsible by virtue of superior responsibility or
for having ordered:
  • Crimes against humanity (other inhumane acts and persecution on racial grounds)
 
Ieng Thirith is also alleged to be indirectly responsible, through her alleged participation in a Joint Criminal Enterprise, for the commission of Crimes against humanity, Genocide and Grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions. 
Cases Case 002, 
More
All transcripts
Date
Summary of judgement in Case 002/02 against NUON Chea and KHIEU Samphan n/a
Termination of the Proceedings Against the Accused IENG Thirith E359/1
Report of death of Ieng Thirith E359.1
Letter of Death of IENG Thirith dated on 22 August 2015 E359
Trial Chamber Memorandum Entitled “Order Appointing Expert to Examine IENG Thirith” E138/1/10/1/5/9/7
Trial Chamber Memorandum entitled “Request to bring IENG Thirith to Thailand for medical treatment” E138/1/11
Review of CT scan results- IENG Thirith E138/1/10/1/5/9/5
Trial Chamber memorandum entitled "Implementation of Experts’ Recommendations on IENG Thirith’s CT Head Scan" E138/1/10/1/5/9/3.EN
Trial Chamber memorandum entitled "Apointment of medical practitioners to perform six-monthly medical examination of IENG Thirith" E138/1/10/1/5/9
Order on measures to be imposed on IENG Thirith E138/1/10/1/5/8/4
Trial Chamber memorandum entitled “IENG Thirith Defence Request for Clarification of the Execution of the Supreme Court Chamber’s Decision on Immediate Appeal Against the Trial Chamber’s Order to Unconditionally Release the Accused IENG Thirith (E138/1/10 E138/1/10/1/5/8/3
Decision on Requests by the Trial Chamber and the Defence for IENG Thirith for Guidance and Clarification E138/1/10/1/5/8/2
Decision on the implementation of the Surpreme Court Chamber's "decision on immediate appeal against the Trial Chamber's order to unconditionally release the accused IENG Thirith" (E138/1/10/1/5/8) E138/1/10/1/5/8/1
Annex: List of Defence Team Members Updatesd 12 February 2013 E25/11.1
Memorandum from Chief of Defence Support Section to Chief of the ECCC Detention Facility regarding “Notice of Changes to Defence Team Members List” E25/11
[Corrected 3] Decision on Immediate Appeal Against the Trial Chamber’s Order to Unconditionally Release the Accused IENG Thirith E138/1/10/1/5/7
Request for correction on document E138/1/10/1/5/7 "Some footnotes has been corrected" E138/1/10/1/5/7/Corr-3
Transcript of Appeal Proceedings- Ieng Thirith E138/1/10/1.2
Order Scheduling Appeal Hearing E138/1/10/1/5/5
Defence Response to Co-Prosecutors’ Immediate Appeal against Decision on Reassessment of Accused IENG Thirith’s Fitness to Stand Trial following the Supreme Court Chamber Decision of 13 December 2011 and Co-Prosecutors’ Supplementary Submissions E138/1/10/1/5/3
Immediate Appeal against decision on reassessment of accused IENG Thirith’s fitness to stand trial following the Supreme Court Chamber decision of 13 December 2011 - Co-prosecutors’ supplementary submissions E138/1/10/1/5
Request for correction on document E138/1/10/1/3/1 in English E138/1/10/1/3/1/Corr-1
Request for correction on document E138/1/10 E138/1/10/Corr-1
Decision on Co-prosecutor's Request to File Supplementary Submissions on the Appeal Against the Release Order of IENG Thirith E138/1/10/1/3/1
[Corrected 1] Decision on Co-prosecutor's Request to File Supplementary Submissions on the Appeal Against the Release Order of IENG Thirith E138/1/10/1/3/1
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