The Phnom Penh Appeal Court resumed opposition leader Kem Sokha’s appeal on Wednesday, his lawyer said, more than 18 months after the last hearing for the politician convicted of treason.
Seventy-two-year old Sokha, founder of the now-dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), was sentenced in 2023 to 27 years under house arrest in Phnom Penh. He was convicted of treason over allegations he colluded with the United States to topple the government of long-time former Prime Minister Hun Sen, who handed power to his son Hun Manet in 2023. Sokha has denied the charges since his arrest in 2017.
A lower court also stripped him of his political rights and barred him from meeting foreigners or anyone outside his family. United Nations experts said the case is politically motivated and reflects a broader pattern of legal action against opposition figures.
The Phnom Penh Appeal Court began hearing Sokha’s appeal in January 2024, but the process has been delayed three times since September 2024.
Proceedings will continue on Thursday morning, Sokha’s lawyer Pheng Heng said.
Dozens of supporters gathered outside the court on Wednesday morning ahead of Sokha’s arrival. Diplomats from the United States, Australia and Germany attended, along with the European Union ambassador and Britain’s envoy.
As in previous hearings, a CamboJA News reporter who tried to register on Monday was told by a court official the next day that attendance was already full.
Heng told reporters after the hearing that prosecutors had urged the court to uphold the conviction.
The defence would continue to press its appeal, he said, adding the verdict was unjust and that “we have sufficient evidence that has already been submitted”.
He said prosecutors had cited a video of Sokha speaking in Melbourne, along with mass demonstrations led by former CNRP figures.
“For a criminal case, we cannot say whether we win or lose, but whether justice has been served in relation to the charges,” Heng added. “We will continue to debate the case in order to seek justice for him.”
Outside the court, allies and supporters criticized the draw out case and renewed calls for the charges to be dropped.
Yem Ponhearith, president of the Democratic Progressive Party and a former CNRP lawmaker, said repeated delays risked undermining Sokha’s right to a fair trial.
“We still have some hope, but we have never abandoned our call for the charges against him to be dropped,” he said.
He described Sokha as a politician committed to non-violence and said he retained public support and the ability to compete with the ruling Cambodian People’s Party.
Seng Siengly, a supporter who traveled from Tboung Khmum province, called on the court to drop the charges.
“I want the court to completely drop the charges against him to promote national reconciliation,” she said. “He has never intended to betray the nation.”
Another supporter, Kim Khoeung, also criticised the length of the proceedings.
“I do not know why the court has kept prolonging his case,” he said. “It has taken so long, and it is unfair to Kem Sokha.”
