A leading Cambodian human rights organisation is urging the courts to release activist Koet Saray, who has now spent more than 600 days in prison while waiting for his appeal to be heard.
The Cambodian Center for Human Rights said on its Facebook page that Koet Saray remains behind bars even though the Phnom Penh Appeal Court has yet to set a date to review his case. He was convicted of incitement and failing to comply with a court order after a previous conviction.
According to the organisation, the charges stem from comments he made in 2024 about an ongoing land dispute in Preah Vihear province. He was arrested on April 5, 2024, accused of leading students to monitor the situation of villagers who were fleeing attempts by authorities to detain them.
Later that year, on November 6, 2024, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court sentenced the head of the Khmer Student Intelligent League Association to four years in prison on the same charges.
This is not the first time Koet Saray has been imprisoned. In 2020, he was arrested after calling for the release of union leader Rong Chhun. He was sentenced to 20 months but was released early after the remaining portion of his sentence was suspended.
His case has drawn renewed attention after the World Justice Project released its global Rule of Law Index on October 25, 2025. The report ranked Cambodia 141st out of 143 countries.
The organisation said the ranking reflects deep concerns about the concentration of power among political leaders, a lack of constitutional safeguards, weak law enforcement, and restrictions on civil liberties, including press freedom.
