Opposition leader Kem Sokha arrived at Phnom Penh Municipal Court this morning to attend the first day of his treason trial, which according to a court official is expected to take at least three months to complete.
Kem Sokha entered around 7:35 am along with his legal team. Around 200 mixed security forces are stationed at the court and streets leading to the court.
Two and half years after he was first arrested, Kem Sokha will face a panel of three judges on a treason charge, widely considered to be frivolous.
Delegations from foreign embassies and other development organizations have been allowed to monitor the proceedings. Police officials have asked journalists, human rights NGOs and observers to stand across the street from the court, preventing them from getting near the entrance of the court.
Little evidence has been made public to support the charge against Kem Sokha, except for a video showing Sokha giving a speech in 2013, where he said he had received foreign assistance to plan his political trajectory. The video was broadcast on pro-government media minutes after Kem Sokha was arrested in a midnight raid at his residence in September 2017.