Cambodian senator accused of treason
Opposition senator Hong Sok Huar was arrested on August 15. (Photo: Cambodia Daily)
(VOVworld) – A Cambodian court on Sunday indicted opposition senator Hong Sok Hour of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) on three criminal counts and ordered him placed in pre-trial detention. Phnom Penh Municipal Court prosecutor Yet Chakriya said that after examining the evidence, he decided to charge Hong Sok Hour on three counts: falsifying a public document, using the falsified document, and inciting civil unrest. Judge Kor Vandy announced that the 59-year-old senator would be detained at Prey Sar prison awaiting trial on these charges. Speaking to reporters outside the court on Sunday, Chuong Choungy, a defense lawyer for Hong Sok Hour, said the senator could face five to ten years in prison if convicted.
Cambodian police arrested Hong Sok Hour on Saturday after Prime Minister Hun Sen accused him of treason for posting on social media a document distorting the 36-year-old border agreement between Cambodia and Vietnam. A press release from the Cambodian government, issued right after the PM’s accusation, rejected the distortion, and said the government will use strict legal measures against Hong Sok Hour to maintain public order and uphold the law.