A Cambodian opposition politician has said the case of former Cambodia National Rescue Party leader Kem Sokha is political in nature and should be resolved through political means among top leaders.
Meach Sovannara, president of the New Generation Party, told The Cambodia Daily that the case has weighed on Cambodia for nearly a decade, as both domestic and international observers have struggled to accept the treason charges brought against the opposition leader.
Meach Sovannara said resolving the case is not only about Kem Sokha’s personal freedom, but also about reopening democratic space and improving human rights in Cambodia.
He added that a resolution could also benefit Cambodian citizens by improving economic conditions through better diplomatic relations with the United States and the European Union, particularly in relation to trade preferences that had previously been linked to Kem Sokha’s release.
Beyond diplomacy and individual freedom, he said the broader goal should be national unity at a time when Cambodia faces external pressures. He noted that unity is also a stated objective of the government.
Meach Sovannara said Cambodia could progress if political leaders are treated as competitors, but warned that treating them as enemies risks weakening the country. A divided nation, he said, lacks the strength to move forward.
On April 3, 2026, the Phnom Penh Appeal Court summoned Kem Sokha to appear for a hearing on April 8, 2026, over an appeal related to charges of collusion with a foreign power. The case concerns alleged activities said to have taken place between 1993 and September 3, 2017.
Suon Rida, a former lawmaker from the Cambodia National Rescue Party and a senior official of the Nation Power Party, said Kem Sokha would attend the hearing as scheduled.
He also called on the court to drop all charges against Kem Sokha in the interest of national reconciliation, saying genuine unity is widely desired by the Cambodian people.
The Appeal Court had previously postponed the hearing, originally scheduled for December 18, 2025, to early 2026, making this the first session of the year after a delay of more than three months.
Kem Sokha was arrested in a midnight raid on September 3, 2017. Two months later, on November 16, the Supreme Court dissolved the Cambodia National Rescue Party following a complaint by the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, which accused Kem Sokha of conspiring with the United States to overthrow the government led by Hun Sen.
Six years later, on March 3, 2023, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court sentenced Kem Sokha to 27 years in prison. He was placed under house arrest, stripped of his political rights for life, and barred from meeting others.
