On May 25, Cambodia’s Acting Head of State and Senate President Hun Sen signed a royal decree granting former opposition leader Kem Sokha a pardon from his 27-year prison sentence.
The pardon applies only to the principal prison sentence. Additional restrictions imposed by the court, including the prohibition on leaving Cambodia, remain in effect.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet described the pardon as "an additional step in strengthening national unity".
Kem Sokha, born in 1953, was president of the now-dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) and had previously worked in human rights and democratic reform. He was arrested in September 2017 on allegations of collusion with a foreign power and subsequently faced treason-related charges.
In 2023, the court sentenced him to 27 years in prison, which he had been serving under house arrest. AKP’s May 25 report stated that the royal decree referred to the Phnom Penh Appeal Court’s final criminal verdict dated April 30, 2026. The pardon covers the principal prison sentence, while additional penalties, including a five-year prohibition on leaving Cambodia, remain in effect.
