Cambodia: Koet Saray sentenced to four years in prison

The Observatory has been informed about the conviction and sentencing of Mr Koet Saray, 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 sustainable use of natural resources in Cambodia.

On November 6, 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. He was subsequently sentenced to four years in prison and fined two million riel (approximately 420 Euro).

The conviction of Koet Saray relates to a decade-long land dispute in Preah Vihear Province, where approximately 300 families were evicted from their homes in Kuleaen District to make way for a rubber plantation on a government-granted land concession to Seladamex Co., Ltd, a Phnom Penh-based company. On March 21, 2024, Koet Saray visited a group of these evicted villagers who were hiding in a nearby forest area, and spoke to reporters about their situation.

The Observatory recalls that on April 5, 2024, Koet Saray was arrested following an order issued on the same day by the Office of the Prosecutor at Phnom Penh Capital Court. He was charged with “incitement to cause serious chaos to social security”. On April 7, 2024, an investigating judge at Phnom Penh Capital Court remanded him to pretrial detention at Phnom Penh’s Correctional Centre 1 (CC1) on charges of “committing a misdemeanour after sentencing for another misdemeanour” and “incitement to commit a felony”, following an order issued by the Deputy Prosecutor of the Phnom Penh Capital Court. At the time of publication of this urgent appeal, Koet Saray was still arbitrarily detained at CC1.

The Observatory further recalls that Koet Saray was previously arbitrarily arrested on September 6, 2020, in connection with his participation in a peaceful gathering at Phnom Penh’s Freedom Park calling for the release of then-imprisoned union leader Rong Chhun. He was charged with “incitement to commit a felony or cause social unrest”, and sentenced in October 2021 to 20 months in prison, with six months of his sentence suspended for a period of two years. He was additionally fined two million riel (approximately 420 Euro) and placed under pre-trial detention in CC1. He was released on November 5, 2021.

The Observatory strongly condemns the convictions, prison sentences, and arbitrary detention of Koet Saray. The Observatory urges the Cambodian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release him and to put an end to all acts of harassment, including at the judicial level, against him and all other human rights defenders in the country.

The Observatory further urges the Cambodian authorities to guarantee in all circumstances the right to freedom of expression, as enshrined in international human rights law and particularly in Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Cambodia is a state party.