Law and judiciary

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Monday postponed the hearing of five human rights activists dubbed the “Adhoc 5” due to the absence of key witnesses. Four officials from rights group Adhoc – Nay Vanda, Ny Sokha, Yi Soksan and Lim Mony, and Ny Chakrya, ...

In a royal decree signed on Monday night, King Norodom Sihamoni pardoned 14 former Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) officials, including senior official Meach Sovannara, at the request of prime minister-designate Hun Sen. They were released last night. ...

King Norodom Sihamoni yesterday granted a royal pardon to former Khmer Power Party president Sourn Serey Ratha, who had been jailed for just over a year after being convicted of inciting military personnel disobedience and demoralising the army. .. ...

Heng Sok, who represented 50 families in a land dispute with Oknha Ly Yong Phat was sentenced to 18 months in jail and fined two million riel ($500) by the Koh Kong Provincial Court on Tuesday, on a charge of “using violence on a property ...

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Tuesday freed on bail, two former Radio Free Asia (RFA) reporters, who were charged with espionage. Oun Chhin, 49, and Yeang Sochea Meta (Sothearin), 35, were arrested by the Meanchey district authorities on November 14, last year, and spent ...

Pursat provincial police and fishery administration officials cracked down on a large scale illegal fishing operation along Tonle Sap lake and seized equipment including over 5,300 fishing nets in Kandieng district’s Raing Til commune. ...

Boeung Kak community land activist Tep Vanny was freed from Prey Sar prison on Monday night after a release warrant was issued by Phnom Penh Municipal Court. This followed a Royal Pardon from King Norodom Sihamoni. Three other Boeung Kak land activists were also released ...

A joint task-force consisting of the national police and Pursat province’s Phnom Kravanh district police on Saturday arrested five people found transporting illegally-felled timber in Santre commune. ...

Natural Resource and Wildlife Preservation Organization director Chea Hean appeared for questioning on Wednesday over a case against Kampong Speu provincial deputy prosecutor Tong Ratana. Ratana is being sued by Sieng Samen for “defamation, and preventing private land clearing”. ...

The Mondulkiri provincial authority on Wednesday refuted claims that it had turned a blind eye to illegal timber trafficking to neighbouring Vietnam. The denial followed the discovery of over 500 pieces of first-grade timber by the National Military Police in protected areas and local media ...

The Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) has released an observational report on the rights of woman defendant’s at the Appeal Court, claiming that many weren’t granted due process. Having monitors attend 453 trials from December 2016 to June this year, CCHR found that there ...

The Stung Treng Provincial Forestry Administration yesterday said it confiscated 52 pieces of illegal wood in Stung Treng city on Monday after getting a tip that the cargo was being loaded onto a boat on the Sekong river. ...

Military police in Banteay Meanchey province’s Preah Neth Preah district on Sunday confiscated endangered animals from two men suspected of poaching wildlife in Thailand. District military police Commander Sin Rasy said yesterday that authorities managed to stop an SUV transporting endangered wildlife. ...

The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the Mondulkiri provincial authority to release on bail eight Vietnamese nationals who have been imprisoned for more than six months over an illegal timber trade. At an hour-long trial in absentia, the Supreme Court ordered the eight Vietnamese to ...

Despite an increase in traffic law enforcement and awareness, traffic deaths continued to plague the country during the first six months of 2018. A National Police general department of traffic and public order report published yesterday said that 1,633 traffic accidents lead to 930 deaths ...

The European Commission (EC) has reiterated the European Union’s (EU) demand for the immediate release of opposition leader Kem Sokha and called on Cambodia to take the necessary measures to ensure that the court-dissolution of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) be swiftly reversed. ...

Authorities in Ratanakkiri province confiscated timber left behind inside the Lumphat Wildlife Santuary in Lumphat district on Tuesday. Kim Reaksmey, commander of the provincial military police, said that the timber was discovered abandoned, adding that no arrests were made. ...

The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) announced on Monday that the European Union (EU) has pledged a total of €3.5 million ($4.1 million) to support it in 2018, according to its press officer, Neth Peaktra. ...

NGO workers have called on the government to seek solutions to challenges and difficulties they have faced in recent years following the enforcement of the law on association and NGOs.​ ...

The Preah Sihanouk provincial governor has sent a request to the provincial court to review and consider granting bail to four villagers who were arrested during a land dispute protest last month in order to appease protestors at his office. ...

In a joint raid on an illegal mining operation, conducted by the departments of environment, mines and energy, and police in Battambang province’s Phnom Prek district on Sunday, over 9,000 kilograms of raw materials and explosives were confiscated. The materials belonged to Chinese company Phou ...

The Ratanakkiri provincial prosecutor on Monday filed a complaint with the Appeal Court against a decision made by the province’s investigating judge, San Bunthoeun, to release a Vietnamese timber trader, a court spokesman said. ...

The government yesterday released sub-decree No 72 to enhance efficiency and transparency in the management of non-tax revenue. The new regulation sets the mechanism to be followed when collecting, recording and monitoring non-tax revenue, including income collected from ministries, public institutions, province-level administration and state ...

Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong on Wednesday criticised calls from former Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) leader Sam Rainsy to boycott the July 29 elections as a “betrayal to the King, nation and people”. He also labelled Rainsy “stupid” in comparing himself with the late ...