Cambodia Supreme Court Upholds Incitement Conviction of Opposition Politician

Cambodia's Supreme Court on Friday upheld the incitement conviction of opposition politician Rong Chhun while suspending the remainder of his prison sentence. The decision keeps the 56-year-old out of prison but bars him from politics for five years.

Rong Chhun serves as a top adviser to the Nation Power Party. He was convicted last year of inciting social unrest after meeting with villagers displaced by government construction projects.

The court also banned Rong Chhun from traveling abroad for three years, the remainder of his original four-year sentence, his attorney Em Chantha told reporters. He had remained free while the appeal was pending. Supporters gathered outside the Supreme Court complex in Phnom Penh expressed anger at the decision.

Supreme Court rulings are final in Cambodia. Rong Chhun said he and his attorney would study the verdict to determine whether to seek a pardon from Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni.