Supreme Court Dismisses Opposition Senator’s Bail Request
Cambodian opposition Senator Hong Sok Hour (L) of the
Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) is escorted by police officers at the Municipal
Court in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 02 October 2015.
Hong Sok Hour was detained in August 2015 on charges of incitement over his campaigning on the Cambodia-Vietnam border issue.
PHNOM PENH —
The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a decision made by the appeal
court to deny bail to Hong Sok Hour, an opposition senator, because of
the seriousness of the charges against him.
Sok Hour was detained in August 2015 on charges of incitement over his campaigning on the Cambodia-Vietnam border issue.
Ket Khy, Sok Hour’s lawyer, said on Wednesday that the Supreme Court had also requested that the senator provide the court with any computer equipment he used to research the border demarcation between the two countries.
Sok Hour claimed to not have the computer he used for his research.
Sung Panhavuth, the Supreme Court judge assigned to the case, declined to comment.
Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered the arrest of Sok Hour in August despite him being entitled to immunity as a senator because he claimed there was clear evidence that a crime had been committed.
Am Sam Ath, technical supervisor at local rights group Licadho, said there was little hope of Sok Hour being released on bail because the case was politically motivated.
Only a compromised ending the current political tensions could pave the way for his release, he said.
Sok Hour had sourced documents and maps pertaining to the border which the government claimed were forged. The documents were later posted to Cambodia National Rescue Party leader Sam Rainsy’s Facebook page, later bringing him charges in the same case.
Sok Hour was detained in August 2015 on charges of incitement over his campaigning on the Cambodia-Vietnam border issue.
Ket Khy, Sok Hour’s lawyer, said on Wednesday that the Supreme Court had also requested that the senator provide the court with any computer equipment he used to research the border demarcation between the two countries.
Sok Hour claimed to not have the computer he used for his research.
Sung Panhavuth, the Supreme Court judge assigned to the case, declined to comment.
Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered the arrest of Sok Hour in August despite him being entitled to immunity as a senator because he claimed there was clear evidence that a crime had been committed.
Am Sam Ath, technical supervisor at local rights group Licadho, said there was little hope of Sok Hour being released on bail because the case was politically motivated.
Only a compromised ending the current political tensions could pave the way for his release, he said.
Sok Hour had sourced documents and maps pertaining to the border which the government claimed were forged. The documents were later posted to Cambodia National Rescue Party leader Sam Rainsy’s Facebook page, later bringing him charges in the same case.
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