World News | Cambodian court sentences 36 to opposition conspiracy

PHNOM PENH (Cambodia) Dec. 22 (AP) – A Cambodian court on Thursday convicted 36 activists and former opposition lawmakers of conspiracy to commit treason, a local human rights group said.

The 36, including former opposition leader Rainsy and several leaders of his disbanded Cambodia National Rescue Party, are accused of trying to help former lawmakers in exile, including the party’s deputy leader Mu Sochu, defy the government’s ban on January 2021. Moon returns home.

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Human rights group Licadho said on its website that the Phnom Penh Municipal Court had imposed sentences ranging from five to seven years and that the three defendants had been given suspended sentences.

It said 33 of the accused were tried in absentia and arrest warrants were issued for those convicted. One defendant was found not guilty.

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The Cambodia National Rescue Party, the only credible opposition party, had previously been expected to pose a strong challenge to Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party in the 2018 general election.

But Hun Sen launched a sweeping crackdown on his opponents ahead of the vote, with the high court dissolving the opposition and driving its lawmakers out of parliament. Hun Sen’s party subsequently won all the seats in the National Assembly.

Rainsy has long been the harshest critic and most popular opponent of Hun Sen, who has ruled for 37 years. He and Hun Sen have been sworn enemies for decades, regularly spamming and attacking each other on social media.

Sam Rainsy has been found guilty of multiple crimes in a series of trials he said were politically motivated.

Licadho said Thursday’s ruling was “the fourth of five mass trials of 158 ex-CNRP leaders and supporters since November 2020,” noting that many of the ex-activists had died in the Dominican Republic. defendants in the trial. (Associated Press)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)