Law and judiciary

Opposition leader Kem Sokha was released on bail this morning after more than a year in pre-trial detention at Trapiang Thlong prison, also known as Correctional Centre 3 (CC3). He was held on treason charges. One of his lawyers Chan Chen confirmed the release and ...

The European Parliament is set to hold urgent debates on selected human rights, democracy and rule of law topics on Thursday in Strasbourg, France, a briefing released by the body said last week. Discussion on Cambodia will centre on the imprisonment of court-dissolved Cambodia National ...

Fourteen villagers arrested for illegal logging in Phnom Kravanh district by the national military police on Friday were released with a warning after they agreed not to repeat the offence, officials said. ...

A Thai civil court has accepted a class action suit filed by Cambodian land victims from Oddar Meanchey province against sugar producer Mitr Phol. However, it ordered the disputing parties to mediate on Thursday before the court proceeds with legal procedures. ...

Deputy Prime Minister Bin Chhin yesterday joined representatives of 16 political parties to draft a royal decree that would cement the Supreme Consultative Council’s government adviser status, an adviser to Prime Minister Hun Sen said. ...

The Pailin provincial court on Saturday put four men in pre-trial detention on charges of “illegal mountain excavation” after they were arrested for carving out a mountain in late August. Provincial forestry administration deputy director Min Ravuth identified the suspects as Da Lin, 41; Khe ...

Ministry of Justice and the European Union (EU) experts have finalised the draft policy to provide legal aid to marginalised groups in rural areas in the Kingdom. The ministry and the EU completed the draft during their Technical Support for Legal Aid Policy Development workshop ...

The Siem Reap provincial court on Saturday put the founder of the Cambodia Landmine Museum and its senior officials in pre-trial detention on charges of illegal possession of weapons. This follows a fire on the premises after which authorities discovered old and rusty weapons in ...

Australian filmmaker James Ricketson was grilled on Tuesday, over his connections to the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) and Sam Rainsy. It marked the sixth day of his hearing at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court over espionage charges. ...

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 ...