PHNOM PENH, March 3 — A Cambodian court is expected to give a verdict today in the treason trial of top opposition leader Kem Sokha, in a case critics say is designed to bar him from politics as the country prepares for a July election.
Kem Sokha — who spent about a year in pre-trial prison and then lived under house arrest until November 2019 when his bail conditions were relaxed — has repeatedly denied the charges against him.His daughter Kem Monovithya said her father was keen to return to politics ahead of July’s national poll.“He is resilient and an optimist. He’s very eager to resume his political life to continue to contribute to the building of democracy and prosperity in Cambodia.
That paved the way for the CPP and Hun Sen to win all 125 parliamentary seats in 2018, turning the country into a one-party state.