September 16, 2010
By SETH MYDANS
The New York Times

BANGKOK — A United Nations-backed court in Cambodia formally indicted four surviving leaders of the Khmer Rouge on Thursday on charges of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and murder as the tribunal moved forward with its second case, after the conviction in July of the director of the main Khmer Rouge prison.

The four leaders have been in custody since late 2007, and all have denied the charges against them. They are due in court in January for a procedural hearing, followed by substantive court sessions later in the year. The charges against them involve the deaths of 1.7 million people by execution, starvation, overwork and disease from 1975 to 1979.

The defendants are Ieng Sary, who was foreign minister; his wife, Ieng Thirith, who was minister of social welfare; Khieu Samphan, who was head of state; and Nuon Chea, known as Brother No 2. The top leader, Pol Pot, died in 1998.