Cambodian Appeals Court Upholds Kem Sokha Treason Sentence

Phnom Penh, Cambodia - A Cambodian appeals court on April 30 upheld the 27-year prison sentence of opposition leader Kem Sokha on treason charges, his lawyer said, maintaining restrictions that have kept the 72-year-old under house arrest since his initial conviction in March 2023.

The Phnom Penh Court of Appeal confirmed the lower court's verdict, which stemmed from accusations that Kem Sokha conspired with a foreign power to overthrow the government of then-Prime Minister Hun Sen. The ruling also imposed a five-year ban on Kem Sokha leaving Cambodia after his sentence ends. He has been confined to his home since November 2018, following more than a year in prison after his arrest on September 3, 2017, by Phnom Penh police and members of Hun Sen's personal bodyguard unit.

Kem Sokha, co-founder and former president of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), faced charges under Article 443 of the criminal code, which carries a maximum penalty of 30 years. Prosecutors alleged his activities with opposition groups and human rights organizations amounted to collusion with foreign entities. His trial, which began years after his arrest, included delays noted by United Nations...