Centre for Law and Democracy, along with Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada and the International Federation of Journalists – Asia Pacific, have sent an open letter to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to protest the detention of Mam Sonando, an independent broadcaster and prominent critic of Cambodia’s government.
Mr. Sonando currently stands accused of attempting to form a secession movement in the province of Kratie. He is facing up to 30 years in prison, as is currently being detained in Cambodia’s notoriously overcrowded Prey Sar prison in Phnom Penh. He has been arrested twice before on spurious charges after publicly criticising the Cambodian government. The arrest was announced the day after Mr. Sonando appeared at the International Criminal Court for a presentation by the Khmer People Power Movement to the Office of the Prosecutor on alleged crimes against humanity by the Cambodian government.
CLD and LRWC believe that Mr. Sonando was arrested for exercising his right to freedom of expression. We call on the Cambodian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release him and to drop all of the charges against him.
