Cambodian court jails environmental activists for plotting against government and insulting king
Ten activists from the Cambodian environmental group Mother Nature have been convicted of plotting against the government and insulting the king under Cambodia's lese majeste laws. The charges stem from an internal Zoom meeting about political cartooning that was leaked. Five of the defendants were arrested outside the court in Phnom Penh immediately after the verdict.
Among those convicted, Spanish national and group founder Alejandro Gonzales-Davidson was found guilty in absentia, having been deported a decade ago. Three activists received eight-year sentences, while others were handed six-year terms. The verdict has raised concerns about freedom of expression under Prime Minister Hun Manet's administration. Human Rights Watch has criticized the trial as an attempt to censor criticism of governmental policies.
