Court dismisses ex-KR Brother No. 2's request for release

The dismissal came nearly two months after the pretrial chamber of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia conducted a hearing on the request by Nuon Chea, better known as the Khmer Rouge's Brother No. 2.

Prak Kimsan, presiding judge, announced the decision, saying the appeal was not made according to procedure.

Nuon Chea was arrested last September in his home in Pailin near the Thai border and was charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity.

He has been in provisional detention since then in the facilities of the ECCC.

Son Arun, a co-lawyer for Nuon Chea, said he was upset his client would not be released.

''My client is suffering from a heart attack, high blood pressure and his memories are not so good these days,'' he told reporters shortly after the decision was announced.

Nuon Chea is one of the five suspects taken to the ECCC set up to bring former Khmer Rouge leaders to trial for their crimes committed from 1975 to 1979 during which they were blamed for the deaths of at least 1.7 million Cambodians.

The other four are Kaing Khek Ieu, alias Duch, head of the Tuol Sleng torture center in Phnom Penh; Khieu Samphan, who was Khmer Rouge head of state; Ieng Sary, who was the regime's foreign minister; and Ieng Thirith, who was its social affairs minister.//Kyodo News -- March 20, 2008