Cambodia releases activists detained over illegal logging protest

Global Witness says Prey Lang forest, home to endangered plants and animals, lost nearly a tenth of its trees in past two decades and illegal logging has escalated during the pandemic.

Cambodian authorities on Monday released five environmental activists after they were detained for three days for protesting against illegal logging inside one of the country’s biggest wildlife sanctuaries.

The five, including Ouch Leng, a 2016 Goldman Environmental Prize winner, were detained by rangers on Friday for being inside the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary without permission, Environment Ministry spokesman Neth Pheaktra said.

The Kratie Provincial Court court had released the five who signed an agreement not to enter restricted areas without permission, Neth Pheaktra said. A case has also been filed against Ouch Leng’s Cambodian Human Rights Task Force for not being registered with the Interior Ministry, he said.

In full: https://news.trust.org/item/20210208085245-qaiki/

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