Cambodian opposition leader pardoned over treason

Cambodian opposition leader Kem Sokha received a royal pardon for his 27-year prison sentence for treason, a month after an appeals court upheld his conviction and sentence.

Senate president Hun Sen, who served as head of state in the absence of King Norodom Sihamoni, issued the pardon that freed Kem Sokha from house arrest.

Sihamoni has been in China for a long time for medical treatment.

Prime Minister Hun Manet described the amnesty as a step towards strengthening Cambodian unity in a statement published on the Telegram social media platform.

Kem Sokha has not made any public comments.

The decision is unlikely to have a major impact on Cambodian politics, as other senior opposition figures are in exile and political and social activists still face restrictions on freedom of expression and action.

Kem Sokha was convicted in 2023 after lengthy pre-trial detention.

He was accused of conspiring with the United States to overthrow the Cambodian government.

The main evidence against him was a video of him discussing political advice from US-based pro-democracy groups.

He has consistently denied the charge and told the appeals court last month that he did not conspire with another country to cost Cambodian citizens the lives or loss of territory.

His arrest in 2017 marked the beginning of the government’s sweeping crackdown on independent media and political dissidents, particularly Kem Sokha’s popular Cambodia National Rescue Party.

The Supreme Court shut down the party shortly after his arrest in 2017.

This allowed Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party to sweep all seats in parliament in the 2018 elections.

Hun Sen was prime minister when Kem Sokha was arrested and convicted.

In 2023, Hun Sen became president of the Senate, and his son Hun Manet succeeded him as prime minister.

The Phnom Penh Court of Appeal upheld Kem Sokha’s 27-year sentence in late April, following a much-delayed appeal process.

A stipulation was added that he was prohibited from leaving the country for five years after his sentence ended.

It’s unclear if this is still true.

Kem Sokha had visited his 101-year-old sick mother with the court’s permission in the early hours of Monday, before the amnesty was announced.

He did not speak to the media, but a video posted on social media by his lawyer showed him hugging his mother and saying that if he were free, he would enter the Buddhist monkhood to honor her.

He also said that he would not take revenge on those who imprisoned him.