Former opposition figure Kem Sokha was denied permission to leave the country and attend a conference in Germany next week, as court proceedings in his treason case slowly move forward.
During Wednesday’s hearing, the court addressed a request from his defense lawyers to temporarily suspend his court supervision in order to allow him to attend the Global Solutions Summit in Berlin.
In February, the Global Solutions Initiative invited Sokha to attend the summit, to be held March 28-29, and deliver a speech addressing the challenges facing the G20 and G7.
“The court has denied the request to suspend the court supervision,” said Koy Sao, presiding judge, noting that Sokha had permission to attend the conference virtually from Cambodia.
Sokha has been under court supervision since his release from pre-trial detention in November 2019. Under the terms of the supervision, he is not allowed to leave the country, is barred from doing politics activity, and must appear when summoned by the court. His trial, which began in January 2020, has been repeatedly delayed, drawing condemnation from rights groups. Since resuming in January 2022, it has been held just once a week for four hours each hearing.
Sokha, former leader of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, was arrested on September 3, 2017 and charged with conspiring with a foreign power for allegedly working with the US to attempt a so-called color revolution to overthrow the government. Sokha has maintained that he has only ever acted legitimately and transparently to try to win an election.
The CNRP was dissolved by Supreme Court order in 2017, allegedly for serving as a vehicle for that same attempted revolution. As part of the decision, more than 100 CNRP members were barred from political engagement for five years.
Co-defense lawyer Chan Chen told reporters after Wednesday’s hearing that he regretted the latest decision.
“We are disappointed that court has denied Kem Sokha to attend the summit
because the presence of Kem Sokha in Berlin will serve global interests, including Cambodia’s interest,” he said.
Chen said that the Global summit wants Sokha to physically attend the meeting because there will be a small session in which leaders can share opinions to address challenging issues.
Speaking during the hearing, Sokha said that he wished to attend in person because it “is an important topic for which they want my presence there” to discuss issues challenging the G7 and G20 and find a solution together.
However, deputy prosecutor Plang Sophal, asked the penal judges to deny the request, saying that the defendant must remain inside the country given the felony charges against him.
“The request for suspension of the court supervision is not stated in the procedure,” he said, noting that Sokha’s alleged conspiring with foreign powers seriously affected national security and stability. He added that the court supervision must remain in place until there is a final verdict.
In reply, defense lawyer Pheng Heng, said that it is not necessary to keep his client under court supervision because he has fully cooperated with the court, especially for attending the trial
“The open way for Kem Sokha is to attend meetings for all interests of our society, including a good relationship between the international community and Cambodia,” he said.
Soeng Senkaruna, a senior investigator at rights group Adhoc, said that the political situation would be improved if Sokha had the freedom to attend the international conference, which would present a good image for Cambodia.
“It is important to share opinions with G20 countries,” he said. “Second it is a good image to restore political tension in Cambodia,”
Separately, Judge Koy Sao announced he would accept all new evidence submitted both from prosecutors and the defense lawyers. The trial will continue on Wednesday 30.
