STATEMENT
Human Rights Defender Chan Soveth Not Detained After Questioning
Phnom Penh, 24 December 2012 – Today the Phnom Penh Municipal Court decided not to detain prominent rights worker, Mr. Chan Soveth. Chan Soveth is a senior investigator and Deputy Head of the Human Rights Monitoring Section at the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC). ADHOC reiterates that Chan Soveth has done nothing wrong, that Chan Soveth has acted in accordance with the law at all times, and calls for the charges against him to be permanently dropped.
On 14 August 2012, Chan Soveth, received a citation (summons) to appear before Phnom Penh Municipal Court’s Investigating Judge Chhe Virak on 24 August 2012. On 23 August, Judge Chhe Virak accepted Chan Soveth’s lawyers’ request to postpone his questioning. Chan Soveth attended capacity building programs in Thailand and Sweden, and returned to Cambodia on 12 November 2012. On 11 December, he received a second summons to appear before Judge Chhe Virak, on 24 December 2012 at 2:30pm.
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During the questioning on 24 December, Chan Soveth restated that he had never committed any wrongdoing, and that his activities were all part of his legitimate human rights work. He also reiterated his commitment to work with the court. The court decided not to detain Chan Soveth, however the charges still remain.
ADHOC requests that the charges against Chan Soveth be dropped immediately.
For more information, please contact:
Mr. Thun Saray, ADHOC’s President, 016 440 044 (Khmer, English and French)
Download statement (in English or French) below.
