Cambodia’s embattled opposition leader Kem Sokha is set to appear before the Phnom Penh Appeal Court on December 18 as his long-running treason case moves forward after years of delay.

A summons issued on November 27 and made public today orders the former Cambodia National Rescue Party president to attend a closed hearing at 8:30 in the morning. The session concerns allegations of secret cooperation with foreign actors, accusations that stretch back to activities between 1993 and September 3, 2017. The charge is punishable under Article 443 of the Criminal Code.

The appeal hearing was scheduled after Kem Sokha’s legal team submitted a formal request earlier in November asking the court to resume the stalled proceedings. Lawyers Pheng Heng and Ang Utdom said the court has delayed the case repeatedly, including since September 19, 2024, leaving the appeal unresolved for more than two years.

The lawyers argue that the prolonged process violates their client’s right to a timely trial. They note that from the initial postponement through today, the case has dragged on for more than eight years at both the trial and appeal stages. They contend that this contradicts the judiciary’s stated commitment to speeding up congested case backlogs.

Pheng Heng said the December 18 hearing will resume at 8:30 in the morning and may mark the final step in the legal proceedings that have stretched on for nearly a decade.

Former opposition cabinet chief Mut Chantha wrote on Facebook on November 30 that he hopes the court will not delay the case again. He said the prolonged process has placed severe emotional strain on Kem Sokha.

On March 3, 2023, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court convicted Kem Sokha of treason, sentencing him to 27 years in prison and banning him from political activity for life.