Cambodians got their first glimpse of the notorious Khmer Rouge military leader Mr Ta Mok yesterday when videotape of him shot during his interrogation this week was shown on government television.
The prime minister meanwhile, saying that Mr Ta Mok would be tried in Cambodia, warned that the issue must not be internationalised.
In the film, Mr Ta Mok (72) appeared well, though drawn, and his grey hair was cropped close.
The military leader who became known as "the butcher" for his bloody purges during Khmer Rouge rule has been undergoing questioning since shortly after his arrest.
The video pictures of him were shown during an interview with French journalists which was also broadcast.
The Khmer Rouge strongman was charged under a law banning the radical left-wing group responsible for the deaths of some 1.7 million Cambodians during their 1970s rule. He will be the first member of the Khmer Rouge leadership to appear before a court.
The Prime Minister, Mr Hun Sen, said he would be tried in Cambodia. The Khmer Rouge problem should not be internationalised, he said, and warned that many people and countries could be implicated in a full tribunal for Khmer Rouge leaders.
The Khmer Rouge "killing fields" regime of 1975-79 remains one of the century's most atrocious legacies but legal experts said that if Mr Ta Mok was charged only under the 1994 law, he would not be prosecuted for the 1970s crimes, but only for offences committed since the law came into effect.
A government lawyer said more charges against Mr Ta Mok were likely to be filed, broadening the scope of the prosecution.
The Khmer Rouge defeated a US-backed government in 1975. The Cambodian population, with the towns emptied, was forced into work camps. Hundreds of thousands of people were executed and many more died of starvation before the group was ousted in early 1979.
The debate continued over whether Mr Ta Mok and other Khmer Rouge leaders should appear before an international tribunal. The United States has said Khmer Rouge leaders should be brought before such a tribunal outside Cambodia. But France said yesterday it approved of Cambodia's plan to try Mr Ta Mok in Cambodia.