01200851
E350/8
87. Furthermore, the Co-Prosecutors have on several occasions presented questions to
witnesses based on notebooks or prisoner logbooks from security centres. l64 The Chamber
considers that such documents containing the thoughts and perceptions of torturers are
permissible, so long as they are not invoked to establish the truth of statements made by those
subject to torture. For example, if it can be demonstrated that the people listed were later
arrested or executed, it may serve as proof of reliance on this information by the Accused or
others within the CPK structure. 165
5.5.3. Future Application of these principles
88. The Chamber recognises that in balancing the interests sought to be protected by Article
15, each proffered use of torture-tainted evidence must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Nonetheless, certain guidelines may create further certainty about the application of these
principles. First, reading directly from a torture-tainted statement in court, regardless of the
intent of doing so, leads to the impression that it is being used to establish the truth of the
statement. Such use is therefore unlikely to be accepted by the Chamber. Second, confronting
a witness with accusations laid forth in a torture-tainted confession is unfair to the witness and
suggests that reliance is being place on the truth of the confession. 166 This use will not be
permitted by the Chamber.
FOR THE FOREGOING REASONS, THE TRIAL CHAMBER
FINDS that the exclusionary rule contained in Article 15 of the CAT is binding on all parties
to these proceedings;
FURTHER FINDS that the Cambodian Code of Criminal Procedure prohibits any weight
being given to coerced statements in the Chamber's factual findings at the judgement phase;
DETERMINES that Article 15 of the CAT does not extend to evidence obtained through
cruel, inhuman, and degrading conduct or to evidence derived from torture-tainted evidence;
RULES that statements from security centres that the Co-Investigating Judges determined
used torture fall within the scope of Article 15 of the CAT and may not therefore be invoked
in these proceedings unless it is established, on a case-by-case basis, that an individual
164 T. 27 April 2015, pp. 9-10, 25-26 (Assistant Co-Prosecutor reference to DI57.7); T. 4 May 2015, pp. 47-48
(questioning of Khoem Boeun Assistant Co-Prosecutor reference to E312048); T. 18 May 2015, pp. 19-21 (OCP
reference to Krang Ta Chan notebook (DI57.13, E3/5860), noting biographical information of one man and
naming individuals being identified as traitors, though not asking whether they were in fact traitors.)
165 OCIJ Order, para. 27.
166 Judge Fenz agrees with this result, however, maintains her dissent with regard to the interpretation of the
exception in Article 15.
Decision on Evidence Obtained through Torture, Public,S February 2016
33
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