Kem Sokha freed from house arrest

Cambodia releases opposition figure more than two years after he was charged

Cambodia has freed a prominent opposition figure from house arrest more than two years after he was charged with treason, a court spokesperson said, after attempts by his colleagues to return to the country were thwarted.

Kem Sokha was arrested in 2017 and accused of plotting to overthrow the government of strongman Hun Sen, who has ruled since 1985.

He was sent to a remote prison, then confined to his house and the surrounding block and prohibited from talking to the media.

But “he can travel nationwide now”, Y Rin, a Phnom Penh municipal court spokesperson, said yesterday.

Sokha is the co-founder of the banned Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), which was dissolved ahead of controversial elections swept by Hun Sen last year.

The new court ruling, which cited health concerns, forbids the 66-year-old from leaving Cambodia or joining political activities.

Rights groups say Cambodia’s legal system is controlled by Hun Sen’s government.

Sokha said yesterday that he was innocent and demanded the charges be dropped.

“I miss Khmer people so much and I will visit people in the very near future,” he wrote on Facebook, adding he would give more details on his plans later.

The decision comes as Sokha’s political partner Sam Rainsy is waylaid in Malaysia with other CNRP officials after attempting a highly-publicised comeback on Nov 9, Cambodia’s independence day.

Rainsy, who has lived in France since 2015 to avoid jail for convictions he says are politically motivated, had promised a dramatic return.