Tribunal rejects last surviving Khmer Rouge leader’s appeal in final session

Mr Sampan appeared in court in a white windbreaker, wearing a face mask and listening to the proceedings on a pair of headphones. Seven judges were in attendance

Cambodia’s UN-backed Khmer Rouge tribunal has rejected the genocide conviction appeal by the communist group’s last surviving leader in what is expected to be the special court’s final session (Nhet Sok Heng/Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia/AP)

Cambodia’s UN-backed Khmer Rouge tribunal has rejected the communist group’s last surviving leader’s appeal against his genocide conviction in what is expected to be the special court’s final session.

The historic international court issued its ruling on an appeal by Khieu Samphan, who served as head of state in Cambodia’s 1975-79 Khmer Rouge government. He was convicted in 2018 of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes and sentenced to life in prison.