Five people accused of leading a US-based rebel group were sentenced to life in prison Friday by Judge Sok Setha Mony, the most severe punishments handed down against suspected members of the Cambodian Freedom Fighters for their failed November raid.
Another 25 suspects received sentences of three to 20 years; two suspects, a police officer from Khan Meanchey district and a former tank driver for the military’s Unit 6 in Kampong Speu, were released with all charges dropped.
All three Cambodian-Americans on trial were sentenced to life in prison, including two who were tried in absentia, Chhun Yasith and Thong Samien.
Even before he heard the sentence against him, Cambodian-American Richard Kiri-Kim had prepared his appeal, saying the Municipal Court trial against him was flawed from the beginning.
“Whatever the judge’s decision is, it is not independent,” he said. “It is the decision of Prime Minister Hun Sen.”
The sentences were read in the Supreme Court courtroom where the two week-long trial has been held. Before he began the morning session, Sok Setha Mony apologized for starting about one hour late. He was sick, he said, and had been up late considering the case. Most of the suspects sat quietly as their sentences.
Suspects An Moa and Chao Sokha were charged with terrorism; the other suspects were charged with conspiracy or membership in an illegal armed group or both.
Oun Srey, the only woman among those on trial, sobbed as her sentence of 13 years in prison was read, then collapsed screaming and had to be carried out of the courtroom by two guards.
Her lawyer said that she is a victim of mistaken identity and that she is not the woman whose name appears on a list of CFF members that was stored on Kiri-Kim’s computer. Authorities used the list to round up the suspected rebels.
Oun Srey’s attorney, Borima Dy, said he has filed an appeal for her and for his four other clients. He claims police arrested the wrong woman and that she didn’t store ICOM radios for the rebels, as she was accused of doing.
“All of the suspects got injustice rather than justice,” he said.
Kiri-Kim’s lawyer, David Chaniawa, said the court mishandled the case, referring to the prosecutor’s statement in court on Wednesday that the police made mistakes in their pursuit of the rebels.
“They admit themselves that there was misconduct,” Chaniawa said.
“They did not allow us to discuss back and forth with the judge, to confront him on some things,” Kiri-Kim said. “Even the attorneys they were not allowed to speak.”
“We already know the judgment is not going to bring justice. We know that already,” he said. “The Khmer Rouge trial is supposed to be a combination of international and Cambodian judges because the Cambodian judges are not independent,” he said.
Kiri-Kim said his living conditions for the past two weeks have been difficult: a small cell at Prey Sar prison that he shares with 10 other people.
“It’s very bad. There’s air pollution. The food is very bad.”
Family members who stood outside the court broke down after the sentences were read.
Mon Touch, 64, said her son, Lim Thenluy, was imprisoned for 20 years. “I cannot meet and live with him again until I am 84 years old, so I will die and my son will not see my cremation,” she said.
Kiri-Kim’s sister Cum Srey Huot said she was afraid for her brother.
“The last two weeks he has looked OK. But today he looked very sad,” she said. She said she has not been allowed to see her brother at Prey Sar prison where he has been held.
The two-week trial drew criticism from three human rights groups for what they said was a failure to protect the defendants’ rights to a fair trial.
