[JURIST] The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) [official website; JURIST news archive] on Thursday rejected a request by former Khmer Rouge official Nuon Chea [PBS backgrounder] to be released from provisional detention [JURIST report]. Nuon Chea, known as Brother Number Two in the Khmer Rouge [BBC backgrounder], was arrested and charged [JURIST report] in September and has since been held by the ECCC. Nuon Chea's lawyer had argued that the judges investigating the case did not follow proper criminal procedure and said that Nuon Chea was not a flight risk, but the court held that he must remain in detention until trial.

In February, a Cambodian genocide survivor testified against Nuon Chea [JURIST report] at a pre-trial hearing, marking the first time that a victim has ever taken the stand against a former Khmer Rouge official. The ECCC said it plans to try as many as eight suspects [JURIST report] on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity for their role in the Khmer Rouge, which is generally held responsible for the genocide of an estimated 1.7 million Cambodians [PPU backgrounder] who died between 1975 and 1979. AP has more.