Cheam Channy
Cheam Channy | |
|---|---|
| ជាម ច័ន្ទនី | |
| Member of Parliament for Battambang Province | |
| In office 1998–2005 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 February 1961 Sam Rainsy Party |
| Occupation | Politician |
Cheam Channy (
2005 arrest
On 3 February 2005, a vote in the Cambodian National Assembly removed the
Cheam was brought to trial on 8 August 2005, after courts exhausted the maximum six months allowed by Cambodian law for pre-trial detention. In his defense, Cheam stated, "I have never recruited or appointed anyone in an army structure, nor have I taken money from anyone ... I am pleading with the court to set me free. I have never done anything even close to what the charges against me say."[5] The prosecutor argued that Cheam's actions had endangered national security.[5] The following day, the Military Court sentenced Cheam to 7 years imprisonment.[6] Amnesty International criticized the trial, stating that it "fell far short of international standards for fairness and failed to produce any evidence to corroborate the charges against him".[7]
International response
The arrest and detention of Cheam met with widespread international condemnation.
Royal pardon
On 2 February 2006, King Norodom Sihamoni reduced Cheam's sentence from seven years' imprisonment to three years.[13] Four days later, Cheam received a full royal pardon, and was released from prison.[6] The U.S. State Department praised the pardon, calling it a "positive turn".[14]
Death
Cheam died on 25 October 2018. He had been suffering from a
References
- ^ a b "Mr. Channy Cheam v. Cambodia, Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, U.N. Doc. A/HRC/4/40/Add.1 at 7 (2006)". United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. 2006. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
- ^ Former opposition lawmaker Channy dies aged 57
- ^ "Sam Rainsy appeal on Cambodia". BBC News. 4 February 2005. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
- ^ "Ranaridh Can't Help Cheam Channy". Voice of America. 5 August 2005. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
- ^ a b "Military court tries Cambodia MP". BBC News. 8 August 2005. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
- ^ a b Khemara Sok (5 February 2006). "King Pardons Sam Rainsy and Cheam Channy". Voice of America. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
- ^ "Cambodia: Opposition leader convicted in flawed trial". Amnesty International. 23 December 2005. Archived from the original on 8 March 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
- ^ "UN human rights official calls for release of Cambodia's opposition MP". Alliance for Reform and Democracy in Asia. 9 July 2012. Archived from the original on 10 April 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
- ^ "Cambodia". U.S. State Department. 8 March 2006. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
- ^ "Prisoner of conscience Cheam Channy released in Cambodia". Amnesty International. 6 February 2006. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
- ^ "Cambodia: Opposition Politicians Arrested, Forced to Flee". Human Rights Watch. 7 February 2005. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
- ^ "The European Parliament Asks the King and PM Hun Sen to Pardon Mr. Cheam Channy". Voice of America. 1 February 2006. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
- ^ Khemara Sok (2 February 2006). "King Reduces Cheam Channy's Sentence". Voice of America. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
- ^ "Cambodia". U.S. State Department. 6 March 2007. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
- ^ Vichea, Pang (26 October 2018). "Former opposition lawmaker Channy dies aged 57". Phnom Penh Post. Retrieved 26 October 2018.