"Boeung Tamok Residents To Appeal Lower Court Verdict In Supreme Court", 23 May 2024

Five Boeung Tamok residents plan to file an appeal with the Supreme Court ... against the Court of Appeal’s verdict which upheld a lower court’s ruling that sentenced them for aggravated agitation against public officials to eight months imprisonment and fined one million riel ...

“We are ready to file our appeal next week and seek an acquittal from the Supreme Court,” said Sea Sambath, one of the defendants, after the Appeal Court decision ...

He felt that it was unfair that poor people like him repeatedly suffered lawsuits and threats by the authorities. Now they are being sent to prison without their case being investigated although they did not commit any crime, he said.

… “I was disappointed with the trial as they did not investigate properly but sentenced us. We don’t agree,” he said. “If I [go to jail], there is no livelihood to support my children’s education, plus the situation at home is still not settled. This is a continuous tragedy.”

In a court document …, Court of Appeal prosecutor Yin Sokuntheary summoned the five residents to appear … after they appealed against the Phnom Penh Municipal Court’s verdict …, the Court of Appeal delivered its judgment, upholding the Phnom Penh Municipal Court’s decision.

…, 18 community residents have faced various charges of “intentional violence” and “aggravated assault on public officers”…

Licadho operations director Am Sam Ath opined that the authorities should resolve it through peaceful procedures rather than take the citizens to court, which burdens them more…