Members of a Cambodian conservation group are facing up to 10 years in prison on charges its founder says are politically motivated and part of a wider crackdown on government criticism – allegations authorities deny.
Ten activists from the Mother Nature group have been accused of plotting against the government, charges that carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail. Three are also charged with violating Cambodia’s lese majeste laws, which carries a maximum five-year sentence, with the court expected to deliver verdicts on Tuesday.
The proceedings come amid deepening concern about political freedom in Cambodia under Prime Minister Hun Manet, who took power last year after the decades long rule of his father, Hun Sen. Under Hun Sen, the opposition was all but dismantled, independent media shuttered and dozens of activists jailed.
