Cambodia grants royal pardon to former opposition leader

Cambodia has granted a royal pardon to former opposition leader Kem Sokha, who had been sentenced to 27 years in prison in a high-profile treason case, Xinhua reports.

A royal decree signed by acting head of state Hun Sen stated that the amnesty was granted to Kem Sokha, the former president of the now-dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP).

“This amnesty applies only to the prison sentence, and does not apply to other sentences,” the decree said.

Kem Sokha was sentenced by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court in 2023 to 27 years in prison on treason charges, although he was permitted to serve the sentence under house arrest.

The 72-year-old opposition figure was convicted of conspiring with a “foreign power” in an alleged attempt to overthrow Cambodia’s government. He was arrested in 2017 amid a broad crackdown on the opposition.

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court also imposed a lifetime ban on his participation in politics.

On April 30, the Appeal Court upheld both the 27-year prison sentence and the political ban, while additionally prohibiting him from leaving the country for five years.

By Vafa Guliyeva