Environmental activists sentenced in Cambodia for 'insulting the king' – JURIST

The UN human rights spokesman on Tuesday expressed grave concern over the sentencing of 10 Cambodian environmental activists to prison for “conspiracy” and “insulting the king.” The statement follows the sentencing of 10 activists linked to the award-winning human rights and environmental organization Mother Nature.

According to local media, Mother Nature co-founder Alejandro Gonzalez-Davidson and activists Sun Ratha and Yim Leanghy face eight years in prison and a fine of KHR 10,000,000 (approximately USD 2,400) for “conspiracy” and lese majeste (insulting the monarchy). Seven of those convicted received six years in prison, having been convicted only of “conspiracy.”

The sentences were handed down in the absence of the defendants. Four of them – Ly Chandaravuthm, Thon Ratha, Long Kunthea and Phuon Keoreaksmey – were outside the municipal court, surrounded by their supporters, when the sentences were handed down. They were arrested immediately after the sentences were handed down. Leanghy was arrested later that day in Phnom Penh.

Article 437 of the Cambodian Penal Code, which contains the offence of lèse-majesté, was added by amendment in February 2018. The offence concerns ““all speeches, gestures, writings, paintings or objects which would undermine the dignity of the King.”

Amnesty International denounced the sentences, calling the decision:

[A]Another blow to Cambodian civil society. Mother Nature Cambodia is a renowned activist group that has drawn attention to environmental degradation fueled by ongoing corruption in the country. Instead of listening to the young leaders at the forefront of the environmental movement, the Cambodian government has chosen to imprison those who dare to speak out.

The five detained environmental activists will be transported to separate provincial prisons, a move that the convicts' families say could endanger the group's well-being and hamper their ability to visit those in prison.