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Khieu SamphanOne of the leaders of the Khmer Rouge movement
Date of Birth: 27.07.1931
Country:  Cambodia |
Content:
- Khieu Samphan: A Notorious Khmer Rouge Leader
- Education and Radicalization
- Rise in the Khmer Rouge
- Surrender and Imprisonment
- Trial and Hospitalization
Khieu Samphan: A Notorious Khmer Rouge Leader
One of the key figures in the Khmer Rouge movement, Khieu Samphan ("Brother Number Five"), served as Chairman of the Presidium (the formal head of state) of "Democratic Kampuchea" from 1976 to 1979.
Education and Radicalization
Samphan pursued his education in Paris, earning a doctorate in 1959. It was during this time that he forged connections with future Khmer Rouge leaders, including Pol Pot and Ieng Sary.
Rise in the Khmer Rouge
Samphan's role in the Khmer Rouge grew steadily. In 1979-1982, he led a "government-in-exile" that represented Cambodia at the United Nations. In 1982, he was succeeded by the less controversial Son Sann. In 1985, he became Pol Pot's official successor as head of the Khmer Rouge movement.
Surrender and Imprisonment
In 1998, Samphan surrendered to Cambodian authorities and lived in Khmer Rouge-controlled areas on the Thai border. However, in 2007, he suffered a heart attack and was arrested shortly after his release from the hospital, charged with crimes against humanity.
Trial and Hospitalization
Samphan is currently facing trial at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia. In April 2010, he was hospitalized in a Phnom Penh hospital with a diagnosis of "cold."
