Cambodian court upholds opposition politician’s ban

PHNOM PENH: Cambodia’s top court suspended on Friday a prison sentence handed to opposition politician Rong Chhun but upheld a ban on him running for office, his lawyer said.

The outspoken Nation Power Party adviser was sentenced to four years in jail last year for incitement to cause social unrest — a charge Cambodian authorities frequently use against activists.

He was also banned from voting, running for office and holding office for five years.

Rong Chhun lodged an appeal on Monday and the Supreme Court suspended his jail sentence for three years on Friday but upheld the ban on voting, as well as holding and running for office, his lawyer Em Chantha told reporters.

The case was brought against Rong Chhun in 2024 after he met victims of land disputes and commented on Prime Minister Hun Manet’s visit to the border area with Vietnam.

“It is an unjust ruling,” Rong Chhun told reporters outside court.

He accused Cambodia’s rulers of trying to keep him out of local polls next year and a general election planned for 2028.

“Just by today, I know that I am influential, that the rulers dare not to grant me freedom to compete in upcoming elections in 2027 and 2028,” Rong Chhun said.

He said he would consult with his legal team about whether to seek a royal pardon.

“We are not running out of hope yet,” he said.

Around 200 supporters rallied at police barricades outside the court, chanting “drop the charge against Rong Chhun”.

“It is unacceptable for the supporters. We want him to have freedom, democratic space, and the national reconciliation,” supporter Prum Chantha told AFP.

Rights groups have long accused Cambodia’s government of using legal cases as a tactic to silence opposition voices and legitimate political dissent.

Opposition leader Kem Sokha, who had been sentenced to 27 years for treason, was pardoned last month, but his political rights, including holding office, and voting remain revoked.