US 'troubled' as Cambodia upholds conviction of former opposition leader

The US on late Friday expressed concern over the outcome of the appeal trial of Kem Sokha, the jailed Cambodian opposition leader convicted of conspiring to overthrow the government.

"The United States is troubled by the decision to uphold Kem Sokha's conviction," according to a press statement by State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott.

Sokha is a co-founder of the now-dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), which had achieved significant political gains in the country after its establishment in 2012. He was arrested in 2017.

Fearing arrest, several other CNRP members fled the Southeast Asian nation.

Rejecting allegations of American interference in Cambodian affairs, the statement said: "Claims of US involvement in schemes against Cambodia's government are patently false and irresponsible."

"We encourage the Cambodian government to ensure its citizens can freely exercise their rights of peaceful assembly and expression and continue to call for the release of those unjustly detained," it added.