The US Embassy in Phnom Penh said the release of former opposition leader Kem Sokha was a positive development and the United States maintained its position that his conviction, which involved allegations of US involvement in anti-Cambodian government activities, was unfounded.
A statement from the US Embassy in Phnom Penh on May 29 said the United States welcomed news of Kem Sokha’s release. The United States has consistently called for Kem Sokha’s release.
“The United States maintains its position that his conviction, which involved allegations of US involvement in anti-Cambodian government activities, is unfounded,” the statement said.
The US Embassy in Phnom Penh added that his release was a positive development and the United States continues to encourage the Cambodian government to ensure that its citizens can exercise their rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.
The United States has consistently denied all allegations that it is involved with Kem Sokha in a plot to overthrow the Cambodian government. The United States considers the allegations to be baseless.
The US Embassy in Phnom Penh issued a letter welcoming the news of Kem Sokha’s release after several foreign ambassadors in Cambodia, including the European Union, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Australia, welcomed the pardon and considered it a positive step for the political situation in Cambodia. At the same time, Western countries have called for ensuring political freedom, the participation of opposition parties, and an end to the use of the judicial system for political purposes.
CNRP leader Kem Sokha was arrested in a raid in the middle of the night on September 3, 2017, following a complaint by the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) alleging that the opposition leader had conspired with the United States to overthrow Hun Sen’s government.
Since his arrest, Kem Sokha has fought his way through 66 trials in the lower court, but on March 3, 2023, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court sentenced him to 27 years in prison for conspiracy with a foreign state and banned him from politics for life.
However, Kem Sokha continued to appeal the lower court’s verdict to the Court of Appeal, where he was tried nine times. However, in the last appeals hearing on April 30, the court decided to extend Kem Sokha’s sentence by banning him from leaving Cambodia for an additional five years.
On May 25, 2026, Acting Head of State Hun Sen signed a royal decree pardoning CNRP leader Kem Sokha. However, the royal decree only pardoned the original charges, which meant that he was pardoned for treason or conspiracy with a foreign state. But additional or additional punishments, such as deprivation of political rights and a ban on leaving Cambodia, have not been abolished.
