WASHINGTON, May 1 (Reuters) – The U.S. State Department said on Friday that Washington was “troubled” by a Cambodian appeals court’s decision that upheld a 27-year sentence for former opposition leader Kem Sokha for his treason conviction.
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The appeals court decision on Thursday was another blow to an opposition decimated by the ruling party’s long-running crackdown.
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Kem Sokha, 72, co-founder of the defunct Cambodia National Rescue Party, has been held under house arrest since he was found guilty of treason in March 2023.
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He was accused of conspiring with a foreign power to topple then-premier Hun Sen.
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The United States has previously said his conviction was based on “fabricated conspiracy theories.”
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Kem Sokha’s case was among the most prominent in a sweeping crackdown on opponents of the CPP, which has ruled Cambodia for decades.
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“The United States is troubled by the decision to uphold activist and opposition leader Kem Sokha’s conviction of treason,” the State Department said in a statement on Friday.
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“Claims of U.S. involvement are patently false and irresponsible,” it said.
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Activists and Western countries have condemned mass trials in Cambodia involving more than 100 opposition figures, with many jailed in absentia on treason and incitement charges.
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“Limiting the exercise of freedom of expression and association hinders Cambodia’s international standing,” the State Department said.
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Washington itself has also faced criticism from human rights experts and advocates over what they see as due process and free speech violations in President Donald Trump’scrackdown on universities, immigration and political opponents.
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They also cast his foreign policy approach as imperialist and abusive.
