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Cambodia Opposition Leader Released on Bail


Former opposition leader Kem Sokha sits at the appeals court during the hearing of a bail application in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Feb. 1, 2018.
Former opposition leader Kem Sokha sits at the appeals court during the hearing of a bail application in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Feb. 1, 2018.

Former Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) leader Kem Sokha was released on bail Monday. The opposition figure was jailed on treason charges a year ago.

"He was released on bail and he is under monitoring by the court," a government spokesman told Reuters.

Reuters also quoted Kem Sokha's daughter as saying the 65-year-old political prisoner is under house arrest and in ill health.

The government of Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has ruled for 33 years, began a crackdown late last year on opposition parties, including having the Cambodian Supreme Court dissolve the CNRP, ahead of elections in July.

With no significant challengers, Hun Sen's Cambodian People’s Party claimed a sweeping victory in a vote widely criticized as flawed and anti-democratic.

Following the election, opposition figures jailed in the run-up to the vote have been released, including 14 CNRP members late last month.

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