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UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Jeremy Laurence today expressed UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk’s concern after the appeals court in Cambodia upheld a 27-year conviction against former opposition leader Kem Sokha, and the convictions of 33 other opposition activists, human rights defenders and social media users.
“UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk is deeply concerned by the upholding of the conviction of Cambodian former opposition leader Kem Sokha and the convictions of 33 other opposition activists, human rights defenders and social media users,” he said.
“The Phnom Penh appeals court yesterday upheld the conviction and 27-year sentence against Kem Sokha, the former leader of the now-dissolved opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, for treason, espionage and conspiracy – in connection with a speech he gave over a decade ago in Australia, in 2013, and four years before his arrest on these charges,” he elaborated.
“In a separate case, on Wednesday the Phnom Penh first instance court imposed on 33 others sentences ranging from 18 months suspended to two years in prison. They faced charges of “incitement to cause social chaos” over public comments they made in 2024 about the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Area project, an issue of major public interest,” he added.
“These convictions and sentences are clearly inconsistent with international human rights law and risk further deepening the already-considerable chilling effects of broad, vaguely worded criminal laws and their arbitrary enforcement on civil society, journalists and the broader population in Cambodia,” he said.
“The High Commissioner urges Cambodia to ensure that legitimate criticism and expression are protected rather than criminalised, to safeguard civic space, to guarantee the independence of the judiciary and uphold fair trial guarantees. The authorities should promptly quash these latest convictions and sentences, and unconditionally release Kem Sokha and all others arbitrarily detained for exercising their rights. They should also halt any further such prosecutions, and review Cambodia’s criminal legislation to ensure it is fully consistent with international human rights law norms and standards,” he said.
For more information and media requests, please contact
In Geneva:
Ravina Shamdasani: +41 22 917 9169 / ravina.shamdasani@un.org
Jeremy Laurence: +41 22 917 9383 / jeremy.laurence@un.org
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STORY: UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on conviction and sentencing of Kim Sokha, 33 others in Cambodia
TRT: SOURCE: OHCHR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: English/NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 01 May 2026 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
- Exterior shot: Palais des Nations
- Interior shot: Briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)— Jeremy Laurence, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk is deeply concerned by the upholding of the conviction of Cambodian former opposition leader Kem Sokha and the convictions of 33 other opposition activists, human rights defenders and social media users.”
- Interior shot: Briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)— Jeremy Laurence, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “The Phnom Penh appeals court yesterday upheld the conviction and 27-year sentence against Kem Sokha, the former leader of the now-dissolved opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, for treason, espionage and conspiracy – in connection with a speech he gave over a decade ago in Australia, in 2013, and four years before his arrest on these charges.”
- Interior shot: Briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)— Jeremy Laurence, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “In a separate case, on Wednesday the Phnom Penh first instance court imposed on 33 others sentences ranging from 18 months suspended to two years in prison. They faced charges of “incitement to cause social chaos” over public comments they made in 2024 about the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Area project, an issue of major public interest.”
- Interior shot: Briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)— Jeremy Laurence, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “These convictions and sentences are clearly inconsistent with international human rights law and risk further deepening the already-considerable chilling effects of broad, vaguely worded criminal laws and their arbitrary enforcement on civil society, journalists and the broader population in Cambodia.”
- Interior shot: Briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)— Jeremy Laurence, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “The High Commissioner urges Cambodia to ensure that legitimate criticism and expression are protected rather than criminalised, to safeguard civic space, to guarantee the independence of the judiciary and uphold fair trial guarantees. The authorities should promptly quash these latest convictions and sentences, and unconditionally release Kem Sokha and all others arbitrarily detained for exercising their rights. They should also halt any further such prosecutions, and review Cambodia’s criminal legislation to ensure it is fully consistent with international human rights law norms and standards.”
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