By Blessing Nweke
Cambodian opposition leader Kem Sokha was granted a royal pardon on Monday, ending his house arrest and lifting a 27-year prison sentence for treason that critics had widely condemned as politically motivated.
The pardon was issued by Hun Sen, who is serving as acting head of state while King Norodom Sihamoni undergoes medical treatment in China. Prime Minister Hun Manet described the move as an effort to promote national unity.
Kem Sokha’s lawyers said the pardon does not remove restrictions barring him from politics or from leaving Cambodia for five years after the completion of his sentence. The opposition figure has not publicly commented on the decision.
Human rights groups cautiously welcomed the pardon while criticizing the broader political climate. Human Rights Watch said Cambodia’s opposition figures still face intimidation, arbitrary arrests and limits on free speech.
Kem Sokha was convicted in 2023 over accusations that he conspired with the United States to overthrow the government, charges he consistently denied. His 2017 arrest triggered a sweeping crackdown on critics and led to the dissolution of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, clearing the way for the ruling Cambodian People’s Party to dominate subsequent elections.
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