Agence France-Presse
The Canadian international prosecutor at Cambodia's Khmer Rouge war crimes tribunal announced his resignation Tuesday from the court currently trying the late 1970s regime's prison chief.
Robert Petit, who left Ottawa three years ago to take up the post, said that "for personal and family reasons" he would soon leave his position at the UN-backed court.
Petit has previously clashed with his Cambodian co-prosecutor over whether to go after more suspects from the hardline communist movement at the tribunal.
"I remain convinced that Cambodia's hopes for a better future lie, in part, on true accountability for crimes," said Petit, a lawyer with the federal Justice department's war crimes unit.
"My staff and I have tried, within our jurisdiction, to contribute to that goal to the best of our abilities," he added.
The court's long-awaited first trial has seen Kaing Guek Eav, better known by the alias Duch, accept responsibility for overseeing the torture and execution of more than 15,000 people at Tuol Sleng prison. Four other Khmer Rouge leaders are also in detention awaiting trial, but while Petit has sought to bring more cadres to justice, Cambodian co-prosecutor Chea Leang has disagreed.
Lawyers for detained former Khmer Rouge ideologue Nuon Chea have alleged Petit has knowledge that his co-prosecutor was ordered by the Cambodian government not to pursue more former regime members.
Petit was not immediately available to comment on the allegations, and is due to leave his position Sept. 1.
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