Cambodia's Kem Sokha reunited with critically ill mother amid house arrest
Cambodian opposition leader Kem Sokha, confined to house arrest on treason charges, was allowed to visit his critically ill mother in Phnom Penh after authorities granted permission on May 20.
Kem Sokha, Cambodia's former opposition leader who remains under house arrest, was reunited with his critically ill mother on the morning of 20 May after authorities granted permission for the visit. According to his lawyer, Pheng Heng, Kem Sokha was escorted by Ministry of Interior officers to visit his mother, Sao Nget, at his sibling's home in a gated community in Phnom Penh. The request for the visit was submitted on 19 May amid concerns over her worsening condition. A video posted on Pheng Heng's Facebook page on 20 May showed the 72-year-old politician embracing his mother in tears, while she appeared to hold him close and offer a blessing. Sao Nget is believed to be around 100 years old. Kem Sokha, former president of the now-dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), was sentenced by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court in 2023 to 27 years in prison on treason charges, although the court ordered him to serve the sentence under home detention. He was arrested in 2017 over allegations of conspiring with a "foreign power" to overthrow the Cambodian government. The court also imposed a lifetime ban on his involvement in politics.
