Municipal Court after they were found guilty of plotting against the government and insulting the monarch, King Norodom Sihamoni.
Three activists – Gonzalez-Davidson, Yim Leanghy and Sun Ratha – were convicted of plotting and violatinglaws, which related to a political cartoon leaked from a Zoom meeting, and sentenced to eight years and fined US$2,500. “The police and plainclothes personnel violently dragged them into waiting cars, as fellow activists shouted for their release. At least two of the Mother Nature activists were dragged by their necks.”
The Cambodian government has faced mounting international pressure led by the United States and the United Nations to release all political prisoners, which observers say has tarnished the country’s image abroad and is impacting foreign investment and tourism when it is needed most.