![Cambodian court charges Khmer Rouge leaders with war crimes](https://www.jurist.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/jurist-white-text.png)
[JURIST] A Cambodian military court charged two Khmer Rouge [Wikipedia article] leaders with war crimes Friday to prevent the two from being released before a UN-backed tribunal [JURIST report] is set up to try them. Court director Ney Thol said that additional violations by the two former leaders came to light in evidence from New Zealand and Australian embassies of citizens from those countries killed by the regime in the '70s. Thol said new charges had to be filed or the two would have to be released. An estimated 1.7 million people died during rule by the Khmer Rouge from 1975 to 1979. The UN has struggled to raise the necessary $56 million to set up a tribunal to try the former leaders, many of whom are elderly and dying. Reuters has more.