{"id":514,"date":"2026-05-26T03:32:39","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T03:32:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/asianewscast.com\/2026\/05\/26\/cambodian-king-pardons-former-opposition-leader-kem-sokha\/"},"modified":"2026-05-26T03:32:39","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T03:32:39","slug":"cambodian-king-pardons-former-opposition-leader-kem-sokha","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=514","title":{"rendered":"Cambodian king pardons former opposition leader Kem Sokha"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"content\">\n<div class=\"layout layout--onecol\">\n<div class=\"layout__region layout__region--content\">\n<section data-title=\"Leaderboard  01 Article\" class=\"block block-ad-entity block-ad-displayleaderboard-01-article clearfix\">\n<div class=\"block-title\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<div id=\"ad-entity-vLCCI0yyxC0\" class=\"ad-entity-container not-initialized\" data-ad-entity=\"lb01_mobile\" data-ad-entity-type=\"Adobe_Ad_Entity\" 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Sokha&quot;,&quot;entityuuid&quot;:&quot;a70b889d-b3c0-47de-82c5-97310700bc38&quot;}\">\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"layout layout--onecol\">\n<div class=\"layout__region layout__region--content\">\n<section data-title=\"Content Details\" class=\"block block-mc-content-detail block-content-details clearfix article-detail-title-block\">\n<div data-title=\"Content Details\" class=\"content-detail block block-mc-content-detail block-content-details clearfix article-detail-title-block\">\n<p class=\"content-detail__category\">\n<a class=\"link\" href=\"\/asia\"><br \/>\n      Asia<br \/>\n  <\/a>\n    <\/p>\n<h1 class=\"h1 h1--page-title\">\n      Cambodian king pardons former opposition leader Kem Sokha<br \/>\n  <\/h1>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"layout layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--75-25\">\n<div class=\"layout__region layout__region--first\">\n<section data-title=\"Hero Emphasis\" class=\"block detail-hero-media block-mc-hero-emphasis block-hero-emphasis clearfix\">\n<figure data-title=\"Hero Emphasis\" class=\"figure block detail-hero-media block-mc-hero-emphasis block-hero-emphasis clearfix\" data-img-id=\"\">\n<p>      <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"image\" src=\"https:\/\/dam.mediacorp.sg\/image\/upload\/s--Ia3PvY5C--\/c_crop,h_450,w_800,x_0,y_2\/c_fill,g_auto,h_468,w_830\/fl_relative,g_south_east,l_mediacorp:cna:watermark:2024-04:reuters_1,w_0.1\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1\/one-cms\/core\/2026-05-02T025913Z_2_LYNXMPEM4101C_RTROPTP_3_CAMBODIA-POLITICS.JPG?itok=dv1tbOeQ\" alt=\"Cambodian king pardons former opposition leader Kem Sokha\" title=\"Cambodian king pardons former opposition leader Kem Sokha\"><figcaption class=\"figure__caption\">\n<p>Former Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) leader Kem Sokha leaves his house for the Phnom Penh Municipal Court for the hearing of the verdict in his treason case where he was sentenced to 27 years in detention under house arrest after being found guilty, in Phnom Penh, Mar 3, 2023. (File photo: Reuters\/Cindy Liu)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/section><\/div>\n<div class=\"layout__region layout__region--second\">\n<section data-title=\"Content share and bookmark\" class=\"block block-mc-content-share-bookmark block-content-share-bookmark clearfix\">\n<div data-title=\"Content share and bookmark\" class=\"article-publish article-publish-- block block-mc-content-share-bookmark block-content-share-bookmark clearfix\">\n        25 May 2026 08:41PM<br \/>\n                        <span>(Updated: 25 May 2026 10:12PM)<\/span>\n            <\/div>\n<div class=\"js-popup-content\">\n<div class=\"bookmark-share\">\n<div class=\"bookmark-share-icon\">\n<a class=\"link bookmark-link\" data-uuid=\"a70b889d-b3c0-47de-82c5-97310700bc38\" data-nid=\"6140631\" href=\";\"><\/p>\n<p>  <span class=\"link__text visually-hidden\"><br \/>\n    Bookmark<br \/>\n  <\/span><br \/>\n  <\/a><br \/>\n<a class=\"link bookmark-link-anonymous hidden\" 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Give it a try.<br \/>\n        <\/span>\n    <\/div>\n<div class=\"fast-tooltip__close-button\" role=\"button\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"fast-button__tooltip-fast-back-button\">\n<div class=\"fast-tooltip hidden\">\n<div class=\"fast-tooltip__body\">\n<div class=\"fast-tooltip__label\">\n              <span class=\"fast-tooltip__non-touch\"> Click here to return to FAST <\/span><br \/>\n        <span class=\"fast-tooltip__touch\"> Tap here to return to FAST <\/span>\n    <\/div>\n<div class=\"fast-tooltip__close-button\" role=\"button\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>    <a title=\"FAST\" href=\"https:\/\/www.channelnewsasia.com\/fast\/6140631\" class=\"fast-button\"><br \/>\n               FAST <\/p>\n<p>    <\/a>\n  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<section data-title=\"Content\" class=\"block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodearticlefield-content clearfix\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"text-long\">\n<p>PHNOM PENH: Cambodia&#8217;s king has pardoned former opposition leader Kem Sokha for a treason \u200cconviction, just weeks after he lost an appeal to overturn that verdict, according to a royal decree released on Monday (May 25).\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Kem Sokha, 72, co-founder of the defunct Cambodia National Rescue Party, has been held under house arrest since he was found guilty of treason in March 2023. He was accused of conspiring with a foreign power to topple then-premier Hun Sen.<\/p>\n<p>Last month, a court in Phnom Penh upheld his 27-year sentence and banned him from leaving the country for five years once that \u2060term ends. The royal decree said the pardon only applied to the original sentence.<\/p>\n<p>Kem Sokha&#8217;s lawyer Pheng Heng told AFP that the pardon, which he called a &#8220;positive step&#8221;, released him only from the 27-year sentence of house arrest.<\/p>\n<p>His political rights, including holding office and voting, were permanently revoked, the lawyer said.<\/p>\n<p>Kem Sokha&#8217;s case was among the most prominent in a sweeping crackdown on opponents of the Cambodian People&#8217;s Party, which has ruled Cambodia for more than four decades.<\/p>\n<p>The United States said at the time that his conviction was based on &#8220;fabricated conspiracy theories&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>He was among only a few remaining opposition figures in the Southeast Asian country, after many others fled in the wake of a 2017 Supreme Court ruling that banned the CNRP. Cambodia&#8217;s \u2060government, now headed by Hun Manet, the US and British-educated son of the still influential former premier Hun Sen, denies targeting opponents and says those convicted were lawbreakers.<\/p>\n<p>Hun Sen, who now serves as Senate president, signed the decree on behalf of King Norodom Sihamoni, who is undergoing treatment for prostate cancer<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section data-title=\"Source\" class=\"block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodearticlefield-source clearfix\">\n<div class=\"source__block\">\n<div class=\"source source--with-label\">\n    Source: Agencies\/sz\n  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section data-title=\"Categories\" class=\"block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodearticlefield-category clearfix\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"newslettercategory hidden\">\n<div class=\"layout layout--onecol\">\n<div class=\"layout__region layout__region--content\">\n<section data-title=\"Newsletter\" 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