RELATIVES OF DEFENDANTS CRY OUTSIDE PHNOM PENH'S COURTHOUSE AFTER SENTENCING, 2001-06-22 (photo)

Relatives of defendants cry outside the Phnom Penh courthouse after three U.S. citizens and two Cambodians were sentenced to life in prison for their role in a late-night attack on the capital in November last year June 22, 2001. U.S. citizen Richard Kiri Kim, 51, was the only U.S. citizen to appear in court. Cambodian Freedom Fighters (CFF) leader Chhun Yasith and group member Thong Samean, both of whom live in Long Beach, California, were tried and sentenced in abstentia. Twenty-seven other Cambodians were sentenced to jail terms that ranged from three to 20 years. The high-profile trial follows an armed attack on government buildings and a military barracks on November 24, which left at least four attackers dead and dozens injured. HJ/CP