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Cambodian Court Upholds Kem Sokha’s 27-Year Treason Conviction

The ruling signals deeper pressure on opposition voices across Cambodia.

Officials stand guard outside the Phnom Penh Appeal Court ahead of the verdict in the case of opposition leader Kem Sokha, who was convicted of treason and sentenced to 27 years under house arrest in 2023, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, April 30, 2026. REUTERS/Roun Ry
Pheng Heng, a lawyer for opposition leader Kem Sokha, speaks to media at the Phnom Penh Appeal Court in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, April 30, 2026. REUTERS/Roun Ry/File Photo
Former Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) leader Kem Sokha leaves his house for the Phnom Penh Municipal Court for the hearing of the verdict in his treason case where he was was sentenced to 27 years in detention under house arrest after being found guilty, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, March 3, 2023. REUTERS/Cindy Liu
Cambodian opposition leader Kem Sokha was convicted for trying to topple the government of long-ruling former prime minister Hun Sen

Overview

  • Phnom Penh’s Court of Appeal, which ruled Thursday, upheld Kem Sokha’s 27-year treason sentence and rejected his appeal, keeping him confined at home in the capital.
  • The UN human rights office urged judges to quash the rulings and free Sokha, saying the cases breach international law and chill speech and civic life.
  • The U.S. State Department said it was troubled by the decision and rejected claims of U.S. involvement as patently false.
  • In a separate case on Wednesday, a Phnom Penh trial court convicted 33 activists, rights defenders and social media users over 2024 comments on a regional development project, issuing sentences of up to two years.
  • Human Rights Watch said the court extended Sokha’s house arrest and added a five-year travel ban, as his prosecution linked to a 2013 Australia speech becomes another marker of a years-long crackdown that has gutted the opposition.