A judge in Cambodia has ended a probe into charges of treason against opposition chief Kem Sokha, heralding what could be the conclusion of his two-year old case, days after the European Union issued a damning report saying the country had failed to make the necessary improvements to its rights record to avoid the loss of a crucial trade arrangement.
In a letter sent on Friday to the lawyer of Kem Sokha, the former president of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), investigating judge Ky Rithy of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court said he had “decided to close the investigation,” without providing further details, including if or when the case will go to trial.
Kem Sokha’s lawyer, Peng Heng, told RFA’s Khmer Service that he and the rest of the CNRP leader’s legal team will meet to discuss next steps, but vowed to continue pressing the court to drop the charges against his client, who faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted.
In full: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/probe-11152019153114.html
