The King of Cambodia granted a royal pardon to Kem Sokha, the former opposition leader, exempting him from a 27-year prison sentence after being found guilty of conspiring with foreigners to commit rebellion against Hun Sen.
On 25 May 2026, the King of Cambodia granted a royal pardon to Kem Sokha, the former opposition leader sentenced to 27 years in prison for rebellion, just weeks after he lost his appeal to overturn the verdict, according to a royal decree published on Monday.
Kem Sokha, 72, a co-founder of the now-dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), had been confined to his home since his conviction for rebellion in March 2023. He was accused of conspiring with foreigners to overthrow then-Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Last month, a Phnom Penh court upheld the original 27-year prison sentence for Kem and banned him from traveling abroad for five years after his release. However, the royal decree specified that the pardon applies only to the prison sentence itself.
Pheng Heng, Kem's lawyer, told AFP the pardon, which he described as a “welcome step,” freed Kem from the 27-year jail term. Nevertheless, Kem's political rights, including holding office and voting, have been permanently revoked.
Kem Sokha’s case is one of the most significant in the ruling Cambodian People's Party’s (CPP) sweeping crackdown on opposition groups that has lasted over four decades. At the time, the United States said the conviction was based on a “fabricated conspiracy theory.”
Kem is one of the few opposition leaders still in Cambodia after many others fled abroad, following a 2017 Supreme Court ruling that dissolved the CNRP.
Meanwhile, the current Cambodian government, led by Hun Manet—the son of former Prime Minister Hun Sen who still holds considerable influence—denies targeting political opponents, stating that all convicted individuals broke the law.
Hun Sen, now serving as Senate President, signed the royal decree in the name of King Norodom Sihamoni, who is currently receiving treatment for prostate cancer.
.cna