US ‘troubled’ by Cambodian court decision

The U.S. State Department said on Friday that Washington was “troubled” by a Cambodian appeals court’s decision that upheld a 27-year sentence for former opposition leader Kem Sokha for his treason conviction. Here are some details: * The appeals court decision on Thursday was another blow to an opposition decimated by the ruling party’s long-running crackdown. * Kem Sokha, 72, co-founder of the defunct Cambodia National Rescue Party, has been held under house arrest since he was found guilty of treason in March 2023. * He was accused of conspiring with a foreign power to topple then-premier Hun Sen. * The United States has previously said his conviction was based on “fabricated conspiracy theories.” * Kem Sokha’s case was among the most prominent in a sweeping crackdown on opponents of the CPP, which has ruled Cambodia for decades. * “The United States is troubled by the decision to uphold activist and opposition leader Kem Sokha’s c