If you were suspected of a crime, would you be treated fairly? In Cambodia... the likely answer is no. This project gives 80 long-term detainees a trained defense lawyer and their day in court.
The rise of the Khmer Rouge meant the death of rule of law in Cambodia, and the nation’s legal system is still recovering from the devastation. Ordinary men and women facing charges can wait in legal purgatory indefinitely, without access to family, medical assistance, legal counsel, or expected dates to trial – while investigators use coercive methods of interrogation, including arbitrary detention and even torture. We seek to ensure timely, fair trials for all Cambodians.
IBJ mines jail records to find clients who have been lost in the legal system. Our public defenders investigate each case, lobby judges to expedite clients’ trial dates, and provide high quality counsel throughout the trial.
Over the course of a year, this project will secure legal protections and fair trial for 80 men and women who are currently facing indefinite detention - lost within the Cambodian criminal justice system.
This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).
