2 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
UN Human Rights Office spokesman Thamin al-Khitan expressed his “concern” on Tuesday over the sentencing of a dozen environmental activists, including a Spanish citizen, to prison terms of between six and eight years in Cambodia.
“We are deeply concerned by the conviction and harsh sentence imposed on these ten activists on charges including insulting the king,” Al-Khitan said in a statement, warning of possible violations of international law in the Asian country.
He also noted that there has been an increase in the use of these charges as a “code to penalize the exercise of fundamental freedoms” in Cambodia, which has a lèse-majesté law, as do other countries such as Thailand.
“We are calling for an appeal to be granted to review the case in accordance with international standards and we urge the authorities to review these charges, especially in cases where the activists were minors when the acts for which they have been tried occurred,” he said.
He also asked the Cambodian authorities to facilitate consultations to pave the way for a reform of the Penal Code that would bring it into line with international law. “We are ready to be involved in this process,” he concluded.
Cambodian justice on Tuesday sentenced a dozen activists from the Mother Nature organization, including Spaniard Alejandro González-Davidson, to between six and eight years in prison, after a trial that left clashes between security forces and environmental activists outside the courthouse in the capital, Phnom Penh.
The court issued the verdict this morning, bringing to a close a trial that revolved around charges of “conspiracy” and “insulting the king” in relation to the activists’ activities. In Gonzalez-Davidson’s case, the sentence includes eight years in prison, a fine of $2,500 (about 2,300 euros) and expulsion from the country once he has served his sentence.
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