Opposition leader begins appeal over treason conviction

A procession of Cambodian police vehicles carrying former National Rescue Party's President Kem Sokha heads to an appeals court in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. Kem Sokha begins his appeal hearing after the court convicted him of treason and sentenced him to 27 years of house arrest. This is the latest blow in a campaign by the government to silence its critics or drive them out of the country. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

A top opposition leader appealed against his 27-year treason sentence for trying to topple former premier Hun Sen’s government, his lawyers said.

A court in March last year found Kem Sokha, a co-founder of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), guilty of conspiring with foreign entities to overthrow Hun Sen’s government.