Concerns ahead of trial for 23
One the eve of the trial of 23 people arrested during a garment strike in January, their supporters yesterday expressed concern that politics, rather than the facts, may determine the verdict. Nearly four months after their arrests at protests on January 2 and 3 – the day that authorities killed at least four people when they fired automatic rifles into crowds on Veng Sreng Boulevard – all 23 will stand trial today. … Phnom Penh Municipal Court charged a large majority of detainees with intentional violence and damage, crimes that carry a maximum of five years in prison and $2,500 in fines. The court later reduced charges against three suspects – including Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Association (IDEA) president Vorn Pov – to charges carrying a maximum of two years. …
Sean Teehan
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/concerns-ahead-trial-23
