[JURIST] Nuon Chea [BBC profile], former deputy general of the Cambodian Communist Party and the most senior surviving member of the Khmer Rouge [MIPT backgrounder; JURIST news archive] regime, indicated Thursday that he expects to appear before the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) [official website; JURIST news archive]. In an interview with AP, Nuon Chea, also known as Brother No. 2, denied any responsibility for the death of over 1.7 million people during the Cambodian genocide, claiming that he was not involved in the operation of the government.

Nuon Chea is likely to be among the five suspects ECCC co-prosecutors are seeking to indict [JURIST report]. Prosecutors submitted their first factual allegations [press release, PDF] to investigating judges Wednesday. The allegations cover 25 instances of murder, torture, unlawful detention, forced labor, as well as religious, political and ethnic persecution. The ECCC was established by a 2001 law [text as amended 2005, PDF] to investigate and try those responsible for the Cambodian genocide that occurred between 1975-1979. The genocide resulted in the deaths of approximately one-third of the Cambodian population. To date, no top Khmer Rouge officials have faced trial. AP has more.