Khieu Samphan vs Viktor Yanukovych

Khieu Samphan was appointed President of the State Presidium (head of state) of Democratic Kampuchea. He served as the public face of the Khmer Rouge regime while Pol Pot held real power.

After the Vietnamese invasion, Khieu Samphan fled to Thailand and continued to lead the Khmer Rouge's political and military resistance. He remained a key figure in the Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea.

Khieu Samphan was arrested by the ECCC for crimes against humanity, genocide, and war crimes. He was the last senior Khmer Rouge leader to be arrested.

Khieu Samphan was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes by the ECCC. He received a life sentence for his role in the Khmer Rouge's atrocities.

Yanukovych won the presidential election, defeating Yulia Tymoshenko in a runoff. His victory was seen as a shift toward closer ties with Russia and a reversal of Orange Revolution policies.

Yanukovych abruptly suspended preparations for signing an association agreement with the European Union, opting instead for closer ties with Russia. This decision triggered the Euromaidan protests.

After months of protests and violent clashes, Yanukovych fled Kyiv for Russia. The Ukrainian parliament voted to remove him from office. His ousting led to the Russian annexation of Crimea and the war in Donbas.

Yanukovych settled in Russia, where he claimed to still be the legitimate president of Ukraine. He was tried in absentia and convicted of treason by a Ukrainian court. He remains a fugitive.