Cambodia: Environmental activists sentenced to 6 to 8 years in prison

On Tuesday, a court in the capital of Phnom Penh handed down a guilty verdict in the criminal trial of 10 activists from Mother Nature, an award-winning youth-led Cambodian environmental group, on charges stemming from the group’s peaceful environmental activism from 2012 to 2021. At least four of the activists were immediately arrested outside the courtroom, where they sat with their supporters and called for a fairer justice system that upholds environmental rights.

The group's successful campaigns include stopping China's construction of a hydroelectric dam threatening an indigenous community and helping to end the largely corrupt trade in exporting sand from Koh Kong's coastal estuaries, which was destroying the local ecosystem and fishing grounds.

The verdict is damning for the 10 activists, who face between six and eight years in prison for their efforts to protect Cambodia’s environment. It also sends a chilling message to Cambodia’s youth that the government will side with vested interests over the environment whenever it gets the chance.

Arrest warrants have been issued for the ten activists, who are charged with conspiracy against the state under Article 453 of the Penal Code. Ly Chandaravuth, Thun Ratha, Long Kunthea, Phuon Keoraksmey, Binh Piseth, Pok Khoeuy and Rai Raksa were sentenced to 6 years in prison under Article 453.

Sun Rotha, Alejandro Gonzalez-Davidson and Yim Leanghy were sentenced to 8 years in prison and fined 10 million riel for plotting against the state and insulting the king under Articles 453 and 437, respectively.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, like his father, former Prime Minister Hun Sen, has repeatedly ignored calls from United Nations experts to address the problem of the closing space of freedom. civil society and human rights defenders. Development partners and others investing in a clean, healthy and sustainable environment for Cambodia should call on the government to overturn these verdicts and support genuine freedom of expression and association.

Four of those convicted – Chandaravuth, Ratha, Keoraksmey and Kunthea – attended the hearings and were immediately arrested by uniformed and plainclothes officers after the verdict. A fifth convicted Mother Nature activist, Leanghy, also attended the previous hearings but was not present during this morning’s arrests.

Gonzalez-Davidson, a Spanish national and founder of Mother Nature, was not present at the hearings after being banned from entering the country. Four other people also charged – Ratha, Piseth, Raksa and Khoeuy – did not appear in court or attend the hearings.

The prosecution and defense concluded their closing arguments on June 24 after holding five hearings in the case, one of which was boycotted by the five defendants appearing because the court restricted access to the trial to their supporters and family.