PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Cambodia’s highest court ruled Friday to confirm the incitement conviction of a well-known opposition figure, while suspending the remaining portion of his prison sentence — a decision that keeps him out of jail but effectively sidelines him from politics for years to come.
The ruling targeted Rong Chhun, a senior adviser to the Nation Power Party, and drew an angry response from supporters who had gathered outside the Supreme Court building in the capital, Phnom Penh.
Rong Chhun, who is 56 years old, was convicted last year of stirring up social unrest following meetings he held with villagers who had been displaced by government construction projects. Many observers viewed the case as part of a broader pattern of legal actions used by the government of Prime Minister Hun Manet to silence dissent and criticism.
According to his attorney, Em Chantha, who spoke with reporters after the ruling, Rong Chhun will be prohibited from participating in politics in any capacity for the next five years — including being barred from voting or running for office. He will also be forbidden from leaving the country for three years, which represents the remaining time on his original four-year sentence. He had remained free throughout the appeals process.
Because rulings from Cambodia’s Supreme Court are considered final, Rong Chhun indicated he and his legal team would carefully review the verdict to determine whether there might be grounds to seek a pardon from Cambodia’s King Norodom Sihamoni.
