( CNN ) -- An international judge has resigned from the special court set up in Cambodia to try people accused of committing atrocities under the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s , saying his Cambodian counterpart was obstructing efforts to investigate cases . The resignation by Laurent Kasper-Ansermet , announced Monday , is the second departure of an international judge from the court in the past six months amid tensions with local officials . His predecessor , Siegfried Blunk , resigned as international co-investigating judge in October , complaining that statements by Cambodian government ministers about two of the court 's cases threatened to undermine proceedings . Those same two cases , known as Cases 003 and 004 , are at the heart of the dispute between Kasper-Ansermet and You Bunleng , the national co-investigating judge for the court . `` Judge You Bunleng 's active opposition to investigations into Cases 003 and 004 has led to a dysfunctional situation , '' Kasper-Ansermet said in a statement attributed to him on the court 's website . Prosecutors for the court filed submissions in September 2009 asking the judges to begin investigating five people , whose names have not been disclosed publicly . The submissions were divided into Cases 003 and 004 . Based on a French concept , the two investigating judges of the court , one international and one Cambodian , are responsible for collecting evidence to decide whether people charged by prosecutors should be brought to trial . Kasper-Ansermet , a Swiss citizen , said You Bunleng had `` constantly contested '' his authority to investigate the two cases . He said You Bunleng had refused to discuss the cases with him during an informal meeting and had also issued written orders to him demanding that he immediately cease his `` unlawful activity . '' Kasper-Ansermet `` considers that the present circumstances no longer allow him to properly and freely perform his duties , '' according to the statement , which said his resignation will take effect May 4 . You Bunleng was not immediately available for comment on the matter . The tribunal , known as the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia , began its work in 2007 after a decade of on-and-off negotiations between the United Nations and Cambodia over the structure and functioning of the court . In 2010 , it issued its first verdict , convicting Kaing Guek Eav , commonly known by his alias , Duch , of war crimes , crimes against humanity , murder and torture . At least 1.7 million people -- nearly a quarter of Cambodia 's population -- died under the 1975-1979 Khmer Rouge regime from execution , disease , starvation and overwork , according to the Documentation Center of Cambodia . Opening statements in the court 's second trial , Case 002 , began in November . In that trial , four former Khmer Rouge government ministers face charges of crimes against humanity and genocide .
Two international judges have resigned in the past 6 months from the court . They have complained of difficulties with Cambodian officials . The problems concern the investigation of two cases yet to come to trial . The court was set up to try serious crimes committed under the Khmer Rouge .