Phnom Penh – Mr. Sun Chanthy, the former President of the National Forces Party, has been released from prison, following a Royal Decree of Pardon issued by His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia. His release occurred on the night of February 24.
Confirming this significant development on February 25, Mr. Kheang Sonadin, the spokesman for the General Department of Prisons, informed the media that Mr. Sun Chanthy was indeed set free. He further clarified that the order for release was a direct implementation of the Royal Decree, which officially granted a pardon to the former political prisoner.
On the same day, Ms. Yean Srey Yan, Mr. Sun Chanthy’s wife, took to Facebook to announce that she was en route to pick up her husband, expressing her anticipation for his return. Despite attempts by various media outlets to reach Mr. Chanthy for comment regarding his release and any potential future political endeavors, he could not be contacted for a statement.
Mr. Sun Chanthy was originally arrested on May 9, 2024, at Phnom Penh International Airport shortly after his return from a trip to Japan, where he had met with supporters. He was subsequently sentenced to two years in prison on charges of incitement. These charges stemmed from remarks he made concerning alleged irregularities and bias in the distribution of poor cards to citizens. During his period of detention, Mr. Chanthy had issued a letter of apology to Samdech Hun Manet, the Prime Minister, acknowledging his error and admitting that his comments had potentially disparaged the honor and national development efforts of the Royal Government. However, at that time, this apology did not lead to his early release. Following his incarceration, members of the National Forces Party had elected Mr. Chea Mony to succeed Mr. Chanthy as the party president.
