Listen to the audio version of this article (generated by AI).
Paris Peace Agreement activist Srun Srorn and 36 others were convicted of incitement on Wednesday over charges brought in 2024 for social media posts criticising a regional development pact, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court said.
Judge Nhem Pisal sentenced Srorn, along with fellow activists Phoeng Sorphea and San Seth to two years in prison, while the remaining 34 defendants received terms of between 18 months and two years. Many have spent nearly as long in pre-trial detention as their sentences.
The court also fined Srorn, Sorphea and Seth 4 million riel (about $1,000).
The mass trial began in December 2024 after about 100 activists were arrested and charged with incitement months earlier for social media posts or plans to protest the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Area (CLV-DTA), which they alleged risked ceding land to Vietnam. The government later scrapped the agreement.
International and local rights groups said the arrests amounted to a crackdown on freedom of expression.
Only 14 defendants were present for Wednesday’s verdict, with the others convicted in absentia.
“I need freedom of expression,” defendant Thel Thylen shouted in the courtroom after the judge had concluded the verdict announcement. He was sentenced to 22 months in prison.
Defence lawyer Son Chum Choun said he was disappointed and would discuss an appeal with his clients.
“During the proceedings, we saw there were not enough elements to support the accusations,” he told reporters.
The Cambodian Center for Human Rights also said it was disappointed by the verdict and said the activists actions did not amount to a crime.
Svay Pov, wife of San Seth, called the verdict unjust and said that her husband had not incited hatred.
Incitement charges in Cambodia have long been criticised by rights groups as a tool to crack down on activists and dissent.
“I still believe that what they have done, related to disseminating knowledge about the law – is correct and benefits the nation,” said Phoeng Sophorn, Sorphea’s sister.
Heng Kimsour, a policy and advocacy officer at the Partnership for Environment and Development Organization, said the ruling could deter young people from speaking out.
“When we exercise our rights, we face challenges,” she said.
