Appeals Court Upholds 27-Year Prison Sentence for Opposition Leader Kem Sokha on Sedition Charges
Cambodia's appeals court upheld a 27-year prison sentence against opposition leader Kem Sokha on sedition charges, maintaining his house arrest since 2017 and reflecting the country's pattern of using courts to silence political opponents.
An appeals court in Phnom Penh upheld a 27-year prison sentence against opposition leader Kem Sokha on sedition charges and ordered him banned from leaving the country for five years after his release. Sokha has remained under house arrest since his 2017 arrest.
Cambodia has long faced accusations of using its justice system to suppress government critics and political opponents. Though the government claims to uphold the rule of law within an electoral democratic system, rival political parties have been dissolved by court order or their leaders imprisoned and threatened.
In 2023, courts convicted the 72-year-old Sokha of conspiracy with the United States to overthrow the Cambodian government, citing video evidence of him discussing political advice from U.S. democracy support groups.
Sokha's Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) was the sole opposition party capable of challenging the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP). However, the court dissolved the CNRP after Sokha's arrest, preventing him from running in the 2018 elections.
In early April, Sokha testified to the appeals court that he never conspired with any country or proposed trading Cambodian lives or territory, asserting his actions were motivated by national peace and unity.
Sokha's lawyer, Peng Heng, expressed disappointment with the verdict and said he and his client would decide whether to appeal to the supreme court. He also called on the government to promote national reconciliation.
Western embassies in Cambodia have expressed concern over the ruling. The British embassy stated: "We want to see Kem Sokha released and have his political freedoms restored. We believe this would help strengthen democracy in Cambodia."
In a separate political case, a Phnom Penh court recently sentenced 33 suspects on April 29 for opposing a border development agreement. The defendants included social media users, opposition politicians, and political activists. Human rights organization LICADHO reported they were convicted of incitement to commit serious offenses—a broadly applied charge common in political cases—with sentences ranging from 18-month suspended sentences to two years imprisonment, plus $1,000 fines.
