Hun Sen pardons detained Cambodia opposition leader Kem Sokha

Cambodia's acting head of state, former Prime Minister Hun Sen, has pardoned opposition leader Kem Sokha. Sokha, who was convicted of treason and sentenced to 27 years for allegedly attempting to overthrow the government, received the pardon on Monday. Hun Sen announced the pardon on social media, accompanied by a royal decree he signed. Sokha, 72, had been under house arrest since his 2017 arrest on treason charges. He has consistently denied the accusations. Hun Sen, who ruled Cambodia for nearly four decades, stepped down as prime minister in 2023 but remains influential as Senate president and acting head of state.

Cambodia's former opposition leader, Kem Sokha, has received a royal pardon for his 27-year treason sentence. The pardon was signed by acting head of state Hun Sen on behalf of King Norodom Sihamoni. Sokha, formerly the leader of the Cambodian National Rescue Party, was arrested in 2017 and found guilty of treason in 2023, charges human rights groups have widely described as politically motivated. While the pardon releases him from his sentence, it does not lift a five-year ban preventing him from leaving Cambodia or participating in politics. His son, Prime Minister Hun Manet, stated the pardon is a step towards national unity.