Prominent Cambodian opposition politician Rong Chhun appeared before the Supreme Court to appeal his incitement conviction, emerging to a crowd of hundreds of cheering supporters who called for his release and an end to political persecution.
Prominent Cambodia n opposition politician Rong Chhun appeared before the Supreme Court on Monday, June 15, 2026, to appeal his incitement conviction. After the hearing, he emerged to a crowd of approximately 300 cheering supporters who had gathered outside the court in Phnom Penh.
Chhun, a top adviser to the Nation Power Party, told his supporters he was anxious for the judges to overturn his conviction so he could return to politics. He had been found guilty last year of inciting social unrest after meeting with villagers displaced by government construction projects. The 56-year-old was sentenced to four years in prison and barred from running for office and from voting.
He had argued his innocence at trial, stating he only posted photos and comments on Facebook about his meeting with the villagers. His supporters chanted "Drop the charges, release Rong Chhun!
" and held signs calling for his freedom. Roads leading to the court were blocked by police barricades, but Chhun walked to the hearing accompanied by his supporters, including local and international human rights advocates.
"We are not worried about going to prison," he declared. "We are willing to sacrifice everything and we are determined to use the resources our parents gave us to invest so that Cambodia can achieve true freedom and democracy. " This is not Chhun's first legal ordeal; he was previously sentenced to two years in 2021 on incitement charges related to accusations he spread false information about Cambodia's border with Vietnam.
He was released later that year by an appeals court. The case is widely seen as part of a broader pattern of political repression in Cambodia. Under nearly four decades of autocratic rule by former Prime Minister Hun Sen, the country faced widespread criticism for human rights abuses, including suppression of freedom of speech and association. Hun Sen was succeeded in August 2023 by his son, Hun Manet, but there have been few signs of political liberalization.
Chhun emphasized that beyond his personal struggle, he wants to promote national reconciliation and unity for Cambodia's 17 million people and address the struggling economy and other national issues.
"I hope the court will grant me freedom and justice so that I can continue to practice politics in the future," he said. Among his supporters was Tim Ratha, a 55-year-old vegetable vendor who traveled several hours from Siem Reap province.
"He has devoted everything to us, he had no wife, no children," she told the Associated Press. The government maintains it operates under the rule of law within an electoral democracy, but parties that have posed strong challenges to the ruling Cambodian People's Party have been dissolved or had their leaders jailed or harassed. The hearing underscores ongoing tensions between the opposition and the long-dominant ruling party as Cambodia navigates a fragile political transition under the new prime minister
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