'Cambodia: UN expert condemns conviction of three environmental rights defenders, urges their release', 7 May 2021

A UN expert today condemned a decision by a Cambodian court to sentence three environmental human rights defenders to jail terms of up to 20 months and urged the Government to release them immediately and unconditionally. The convicted human rights defenders - Mr. Thun Ratha, Ms. Long Kunthea, and Ms. Phoung Keorasmey – are members of Mother Nature Cambodia (MNC), a non-governmental organization that advocates for the protection and preservation of Cambodia's natural environment and supports local communities in defending those rights... "The decision of the Cambodian court sentencing the three human rights defenders to prison terms is disgraceful and only reinforces the Government's enduring policy to diminish civic space and dissenting voices," said Mary Lawlor, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders... Lawlor expressed serious concerns about the lack of factual evidence underpinning the charges. The human rights defenders were convicted based on a number of Facebook posts on environmental matters and video clips which showed them raising human rights and environmental awareness in a factual and peaceful manner... The expert's call has been endorsed by Mr. David Boyd, Special Rapporteur on the issue of human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment; and Mr. Clément Nyaletsossi Voule , Special Rapporteur on the rights to peaceful assembly and of association...