Cambodia: Scores convicted for criticism against a regional agreement while journalists, activists and opposition continue to be targeted

The state of civic space in Cambodia is rated as 'repressed'. Repressive laws are routinely misused to harass and criminalise human rights defenders, trade unionists, youth activists, journalists and the political opposition. Arrested individuals are frequently denied bail, while prolonged pretrial detention and secretive judicial proceedings are used to silence dissent. The Cambodian judiciary continues to operate in a politicised and opaque manner, reinforcing a broader climate of impunity for those who target activists and critics of the state. Peaceful protests are systematically supressed and there are excessive restrictions on association under the Law on Associations and Non-Governmental Organisations (LANGO).

In February 2026, LICADHO reported that at least 82 people were arrested and charged after voicing and posting their thoughts and opinions in 2025, with 76 people still detained in prisons across the country. At least 33 of the 76 people still detained in prisons were affiliated with a political opposition party. Authorities most commonly filed charges of "incitement to commit a felony" under Articles 494 and 495 of the Criminal Code, which carries up to two years in prison.

In the same month, Human Rights Watch said that since Hun Manet became prime minister in 2023, the human rights situation has continued to deteriorate, with a sustained campaign by the Cambodian government to suppress all forms of dissent. The government punishes dissent with arbitrary detention, often followed by coerced confessions or public apologies, and engages in pervasive surveillance and transnational repression of critics who have fled to other countries.

Amnesty International reported in April 2026 that in 2025, journalists, civil society leaders and government critics continued to face unfounded and politically motivated criminal charges.

In recent months, activists charged for their criticism of the CLV-DATA regional agreement were convicted while the Supreme Court rejected the bail appeal from Mother Nature environmental activists. Student leader Koet Saray's conviction was upheld, an activist was stripped of his political rights by the court and opposition members have been targeted. Journalists remain at risk for their reporting and there has been criminalisation of the opposition, activists and critics for their online commentary. Land communities were arbitrarily blocked by authorities from attending a gathering.

Association

Scores convicted for their expression on the CLV-DTA regional agreement

On 29th April 2026, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court convicted 33 people of incitement related to their expression over the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Area (CLV-DTA), a regional cooperation initiative.

The case stemmed from September 2024, when more than 100 individuals - including youth, environmental, and political activists - were arrested, and over 60 were charged and imprisoned for criticising or planning protests against the CLV-DTA agreement. Cambodia later scrapped it following the protests. Most faced charges of “plotting an attack on the state,” carrying sentences of five to ten years, while others were charged with “incitement to commit a felony,” carrying six months to two years in prison.

The convictions were originally part of a single criminal case that was later split into five separate cases. All the people were charged with incitement to commit a felony under Articles 494 and 495 of the Criminal Code.

The convictions included the three members of the Paris Peace Agreement (PPA) activist group whose July 2024 arrests sparked a wave of social media expression and subsequent government crackdown over the border development framework. According to LICADHO, the three members of the PPA - Srun Srorn, Pheung Sophea, and San Sith - were sentenced to the maximum two years in prison and fined four million riel (about USD$1,000).

Two social media users who were arrested in the week after the PPA activists' arrests, Thel Thilen and Pov Lita, were sentenced to 22 months in prison. The court also sentenced San Oeun, Kim Voeun, Chin Chamrong and Heng Kimly to two years in prison and fined them four million riel. Oeun and Voeun are both opposition party politicians who were arrested in August 2024. Another political activist, Nhep Sarom; an opposition politician, Chin Bunnaroth; and a social media user, Hor Sokhon, received two-year prison sentences and a four million riel fine. Political activist Sem Sophal and another man, Touch Ratanak, were sentenced to 22 months in prison. Other defendants received 18-month sentences.

Supreme Court rejects bail appeal from Mother Nature environmental activists

On 2nd March 2026, the Supreme Court rejected the latest request for bail by five young environmental activists from Mother Nature Cambodia.

The activists—Yim Leanghy, Ly Chandaravuth, Phuon Keoraksmey, Thun Ratha, and Long Kunthea - were convicted by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court in July 2024 and sentenced to between six and eight years in prison on charges of plotting, with Leanghy also convicted of insulting the king.

On 23rd February 2026, their lawyers submitted a request for bail while they await an Appeal Court hearing. Previous requests for bail were also denied, including by the Appeal Court in February 2025 and December 2025, and by the Supreme Court in April 2025.

Further, more than 20 months after their conviction, no hearing for their appeal has been scheduled.

On 25th February 2026, CIVICUS added five Mother Nature Cambodia environmental rights defenders—Long Kunthea, Ly Chandaravuth, Phuon Keoraksmey, Thun Ratha, and Yim Leanghy—to its global campaign Stand As My Witness, which supported the release of over 30 human rights defenders worldwide.

On 18th March 2026, Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, expressed concern on Facebook over the continued detention of five environmental rights defenders. She called for their appeal trial to be scheduled immediately and strictly adhered to, noting that repeated delays increase concerns that their detention is arbitrary and directly retaliatory for their environmental work. She emphasised that their conviction should be quashed and they should be released.

Student leader Koet Saray's conviction upheld

On 26th January 2026, the Phnom Penh Appeal Court upheld a four-year prison sentence and two million riel (around USD 500) fine against activist Koet Saray.

Koet Saray is the President of the Khmer Student Intelligent League Association (KSILA), a group that works on capacity building to increase students’ participation in social development, good governance, and the sustainable use of natural resources in Cambodia.

As previously documented, in November 2024, the Phnom Penh Capital Court convicted Koet Saray of “incitement to commit a felony” and “committing a misdemeanour after sentencing for a misdemeanour” under Articles 494, 495 and 88 of Cambodia’s Criminal Code for comments he made to the media about a violent eviction and a decade-long land dispute in Preah Vihear province.

Activist stripped of political rights by Appeal Court

On 31st March 2026, Rong Chhun, a longtime unionist and advisor to the opposition Nation Power Party, was stripped of his ‘right to do politics’ by the Phnom Penh’s appeals court while upholding his 2025 incitement conviction related to comments he made about online scams and the Cambodia–Vietnam border.

As previously documented, he was first convicted of incitement in August 2021 and served over 15 months in prison. His second conviction came on 5th May 2025, when the Phnom Penh Capital Court sentenced him to four years in prison, imposed a fine of four million riel (approximately USD 1,000), and revoked his rights to vote and stand for election. The Appeal Court upheld that second verdict and further imposed the permanent restriction on his political rights under Article 498 of the Criminal Code.

Opposition members targeted

Opposition members continue to face various forms of judicial harassment,

On 6th January 2026, the Phnom Penh Appeal Court upheld a two-year prison sentence against opposition politician Eng Sroy, as well as a lower court order to pay compensation to a civil party. Sroy, who is a Tbong Khmum provincial leader for the Candlelight Party, was convicted on 6th June 2024 of incitement (Article 494 and 495) and defamation (Article 305) for comments he made about the deputy head of the police academy. He was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay a two million riel fine (around USD 500) and 20 million riel (around USD 4,900) in damages to the civil party.

On 12th January 2026, Rath Sothy, a Candlelight Party district chief and commune official, was arrested in Battambang and taken to Phnom Penh for questioning by the Anti-Cybercrime Office. He was later charged with plotting under Article 453 of the Criminal Code, which carries a five- to ten-year sentence, and is currently in pre-trial detention at Correctional Centre 1.

On 30th January 2026, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court convicted six individuals, including at least three members of the political opposition for incitement linked to their social media posts. Each was sentenced to two years in prison and fined two million riel (around USD 500). Among those convicted under Articles 494 and 495 are Hem Hoeurn, Vorn Lang, and Leng Lon, all active opposition members. Hoeurn serves on the Oral district council in Kampong Speu for the Khmer Will Party; Lang is a commune council member and head of the Candlelight Party in the same district; and Lon is a deputy chief of the National Power Party in Stoung district, Kampong Thom province. Hoeurn and Lang were arrested over social media posts related to the Cambodia-Thailand border conflict, while Lon was detained for comments criticising recent amendments to the Law on Nationality that allow the government to revoke Cambodian citizenship.

On 12th February 2026, the Phnom Penh Appeal Court upheld the convictions of three opposition members - Khem Chanvannak, Ma Chinda, and Hak Kosal - who were sentenced to two and a half years in prison on forgery-related charges ahead of the January 2024 Senate elections. While Chinda and Kosal received partially suspended sentences and were effectively released after time served, Chanvannak remains in prison. The three were arrested in January 2024 in connection with their political activities linked to the Candlelight Party.

Court upholds conviction of political opposition leader

On 30th April 2026, the Phnom Penh Court of Appeal upheld the politically motivated conviction of the Cambodian political opposition leader Kem Sokha. The court extended Sokha’s de-facto house arrest and 27-year sentence that had been imposed in March 2023 and added an additional five-year ban on international travel.

Sokha, 72, is the former president of the dissolved main opposition party, the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP). According to Human Rights Watch, since the Cambodian authorities arrested Sokha in 2017, he has been arbitrarily detained, mistreated in custody, and banned from voting or running for election.

Sokha was arrested in September 2017. An investigating judge later charged Sokha with treason and “colluding with foreigners” under article 443 of the Cambodian criminal code.

Expression

Journalists remain at risk for their reporting

There are severe restrictions on press freedom in Cambodia. In recent years, legal action has been brought against scores of journalists, numerous independent media outlets have closed down and media licences revoked.

On 9th February 2026, online journalist Nhel Soksan of Buddhist News was detained for six hours and later released after agreeing to remove an article about citizens being barred from participating in religious ceremonies. The Ministry of Cults and Religion accused the report of undermining leadership and promoting discrimination. Soksan had published the article after reporting that some people were prevented from joining Buddhist processions at a temple because they did not have the required identification cards.

On 3rd February 2026, online journalist Hem Vanna was arrested after publishing a video report about an alleged scam compound in Cambodia. The case arose after he published a video on 30th January 2026 about a suspected online scam compound located near a police station in Poipet. Authorities later summoned him to the Poipet police station, accusing him of “attempting to tarnish the reputation of the institution.” Vanna was charged under Articles 301 and 495 of the Cambodian Penal Code, which criminalise intercepting or recording private conversations and incitement. If found guilty, he could face up to three years in prison.

On 11th February 2026, investigative reporter Mech Dara was briefly detained for more than an hour and forced to delete photos he had taken of a suspected reporting on a scam centre raid in the Dara Sakor area of coastal Koh Kong province. Dara is currently on bail after being charged with incitement to disturb social security under Articles 494 and 495 of the Criminal Code. He was released in October 2024, after spending 23 days in prison. Authorities accused him of posting content on social media in 2024 documenting damage caused by a quarry operation to the concrete stairs leading to Ba Phnom, a pagoda and popular tourist site in eastern Cambodia.

On 13th February 2026, journalist Luot Sophal of the independent local outlet Srotop Yuvakvey News was arrested after publishing a video on his personal Facebook page on 7th February 2026 about an alleged water shortage affecting frontline Cambodian soldiers and included a photograph of government leaders. He was later charged under Articles 472, 494, and 495 of the Cambodian Penal Code for allegedly demoralising the armed forces and inciting the commission of a felony.

On 26th March 2026, the Battambang Appeal Court upheld the verdict issued by the Siem Reap Provincial Court against two journalists, Phon Sopheap and Pheap Pheara, who had been sentenced to 14 years in prison on 17 December 2025. The journalists, were convicted of treason in December 2025 for reporting on the Cambodia–Thailand border conflict in a one-day trial under Section 445 of the criminal code for “delivering information to foreign states as a crime to endanger national defence”.

Court denies bail for activists

On 5th January 2026, the Phnom Penh Appeal Court denied bail to Pich Pisith, vice president of the Coalition of Apparel and Industrial Unions (Coalition-AI), who is charged with incitement to discriminate and public insult under Articles 307, 494, and 496 of the Criminal Code.

Pisith was arrested on 16th September 2025 at his workplace in Preah Sihanouk province and formally charged by the Phnom Penh Capital Court on 19th September 2025, following comments he posted on the Facebook page of Sok Kin, head of the Building and Wood Workers Trade Union Federation of Cambodia (BWTUC). He is currently in pre-trial detention at Correctional Centre 1 in Phnom Penh and faces up to three years in prison if convicted.

On 23rd March 2026, the Phnom Penh Appeal Court denied the bail application for of Thou Vakhim, a social and youth activist.

Thou Vakhim, was arrested on 26th September 2025 in front of the Council of Ministers building while he was returning from the Royal Palace. He was charged with incitement to commit felony under Articles 494 and 495 of Criminal Code, stemming from opinions he expressed on his Facebook page deemed critical of the government. On 11 March, the convicted and sentenced him to two years in prison and issued a 4 million riel fine (about USD 1,000).

Before his detention, Vakhim spoke out on human rights and land rights issues, called for the release of social activist Koet Saray and Mother Nature Cambodia environmental defenders, sought justice for the murder of analyst Kem Ley, and addressed the Cambodian-Thai border dispute.

Criminalisation of the opposition, activists and critics for their online commentary

Activists and critics making comments online have been arrested or convicted by the authorities. Others have had their convictions upheld by the courts.

On 30th December 2025, the Supreme Court upheld the conviction of social commentator Ny Nak, who will continue serving a two-year sentence and must pay a three million riel fine (USD 750) and 200 million riel in compensation (USD 50,000) to Labour Minister Heng Sour. Nak was arrested in January 2024 for criticising the government’s grant of 91 hectares of land in Kampot province to Heng Sour. He was convicted in November 2024 for incitement, defamation, and repeat misdemeanour offences.

In January 2026, two opposition members - Vorn Van and Sar Nal - from the National Power Party were arrested for posting comments on social media about Cambodia’s border clashes with Thailand. Vorn Van was detained on 15th January 2026 after sharing a critical Facebook post, questioned by police and the provincial court, and charged with incitement and insulting the king under the Criminal Code. Sar Nal was arrested on 8th January 2026 for social media posts criticising government leaders over the Cambodia-Thailand border clashes. He was charged with incitement to commit a felony, cause social unrest, and incitement to discriminate under Articles 494–496 of the Criminal Code, facing up to three years in prison if convicted.

On 12th January 2026, Rath Sothy, a Candlelight Party district chief and commune official, was arrested in Battambang and taken to Phnom Penh for questioning by the Anti-Cybercrime Office. He was later charged with plotting under Article 453 of the Criminal Code, which carries a five- to ten-year sentence, and is currently in pre-trial detention at Correctional Centre 1.

On 5th March 2026, the Phnom Penh Appeal Court upheld the convictions of Nuon Toeun, who had been working in Malaysia when she was arrested and deported in late 2024 over Facebook posts at the request of Cambodian authorities. The court affirmed two separate 18-month prison sentences on charges of incitement and insulting the king, linked to posts considered critical of Senate President Hun Sen.

On 25th March 2026, Pich Piseth, leader of the Coalition-AI union at a garment factory in Preah Sihanouk province, was sentenced to two years in prison for incitement to commit a felony. In addition to the prison sentence, the court imposed a fine of nearly USD 1,000. Piseth has been held in pre-trial detention since September, following comments he made on a Facebook post by another trade union president, Sok Kin, whom he criticised for allegedly failing to defend workers’ rights.

The Takeo Provincial Court on 28th April 2026 sentenced Phon Yuth, an outspoken political activist, to 18 months in prison on charges of incitement to commit a felony under Articles 494 and 495 of the Criminal Code as well as Article 88, which relates to committing the same misdemeanour within the last five years. Yuth was most recently arrested at his home in Takeo province on 29th October 2025 after expressing opinions on social media about the Cambodia-Thailand border conflict. He was first detained in 2019 after sharing critical views of the government and calling for the prime minister at the time to resign. He was arrested for a second time in March 2024 after posting a live video on social media criticising the government about issues including employment and foreign affairs.

Peaceful Assembly

Land communities arbitrarily blocked by authorities from attending a gathering

On 11th March 2026, authorities in Preah Vihear Province blocked members of two communities from traveling to an International Women’s Day event, forcing about 140 people from the Sameakki Rieb Roy and Trapeang Kor Koh communities to return home.

Meanwhile, other participants attended the gathering organised by the Ruessei Srok Land Community in Rovieng district, where speakers called for respect for women’s rights and a resolution to an ongoing land dispute.

The dispute involves Global Green (Cambodia) Energy Development Co. Ltd., which villagers accuse of clearing farmland and crops since September 2025. The company is reportedly linked to relatives of tycoon Try Pheap. Affected residents say they were pressured to accept low compensation and warned against returning to their land.