Khmer Rouge war criminal Duch dies aged 77

Former Khmer Rouge prison chief Kaing Guek Eav, also know as Duch, died at a hospital in Cambodia early on Wednesday morning (Mak Remissa/Pool Photo/AP)

The head of the Khmer Rouge’s prison system, who admitted overseeing the torture and killings of thousands of Cambodians, has died.

Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch, died at a hospital in Cambodia early on Wednesday morning after suffering breathing difficulty, said Neak Pheaktra, a spokesperson for the tribunal in Phnom Penh that handled the trials over the regime’s crimes.