Kem Sokha, former leader of the Cambodia National Rescue Party, has received a pardon for his principal 27-year prison sentence for collusion with a foreign power. The case concerns acts that the court found had taken place in Cambodia and elsewhere between 2010 and September 3, 2017.
The pardon was issued through a royal decree dated May 25, 2026 and signed by Acting Head of State Hun Sen. Article 2 states that it applies only to the principal prison sentence and does not cover additional penalties. On April 30, 2026, the Appeal Court had upheld the lower court’s verdict and imposed an additional five-year ban on leaving the country. That additional penalty is not waived by the royal decree.
By: ង៉ែត ពិសាន្ត
