Leader of Cambodia’s defunct opposition loses appeal against treason conviction, lawyer says

PHNOM PENH — A Cambodian appeals court on Thursday upheld a 27-year sentence for former opposition leader Kem Sokha for his treason conviction, his lawyer said, another blow to an opposition decimated by the ruling party’s long-running crackdown.

Mr. Kem Sokha, 72, co-founder of the defunct Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), has been held under house arrest since he was found guilty of treason in March 2023. He was accused of conspiring with a foreign power to topple then-premier Hun Sen.

The court upheld that verdict and banned Mr. Kem Sokha from leaving Cambodia for five years once his term ends, his lawyer said.

“We regret this decision,” Pheng Heng told reporters. “Under this circumstance, the government ruled by the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) should seek national reconciliation and today’s decision is not as expected.”

Mr. Kem Sokha’s case was among the most prominent in a sweeping crackdown on opponents of the CPP, which has ruled the Southeast Asian country for more than four decades. The United States said at the time that his conviction was based on “fabricated conspiracy theories.”

Mr. Kem Sokha is one of only a few top opposition figures who remain in Cambodia, with many having fled to avoid arrest following the Supreme Court’s 2017 decision to ban the CNRP, which came ahead of an election in which it had been expected to mount a serious challenge.

OPPOSITION CRUSHED
Cambodia has since held mass trials involving more than 100 opposition figures, with many jailed in absentia on treason and incitement charges, prompting condemnation from activists and Western countries.

All attempts by remnants of the opposition to regroup have been crushed, ensuring the past two elections were virtually one-horse races, with CPP holding almost all legislative seats.

Cambodia’s government, now headed by Hun Manet, the US- and British-educated son of the still influential ex-Premier Mr. Hun Sen, denies targeting opponents and says those convicted were lawbreakers.

Notable Cambodian dissidents in exile include fellow CNRP co-founders Sam Rainsy, who has lived in France since 2016, and Mu Sochua, now in the United States.

Several Western embassies in Cambodia expressed disappointment with Thursday’s outcome, with Britain calling for Kem Sokha to be released to “help strengthen democracy in Cambodia.”

Germany’s ambassador Stefan Messerer on X said the ruling “does not dispel the concerns that have accompanied these proceedings over many years.”

Australia’s ambassador Derek Yip described the outcome on X as “deeply disappointing,” adding “we urge Cambodia to take steps to expand civic space and create the conditions for genuine, contested elections.” — Reuters