Cambodia's King Norodom SihamoniPHNOM PENH : Cambodia's king has pardoned exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy who was sentenced to jail for defamation, in a move officials said was at the request of Prime Minister Hun Sen.
"Convict Sam Rainsy ... is pardoned," a statement from the palace read out on state television said.
The decision comes two days after Sam Rainsy recanted accusations that Prime Minister Hun Sen was behind a deadly 1997 grenade attack and other violent acts against his party.
Opposition lawmaker Cheam Channy, who has spent a year in prison, was also pardoned by King Norodom Sihamoni and would be freed Monday, fellow opposition legislator Son Chhay said Sunday.
"Cheam Channy has been pardoned and will be free from military prison tomorrow morning," he told AFP.
Hun Sen's adviser Om Yentieng confirmed the pair were pardoned by the king, who was acting on a request from Hun Sen.
He told AFP that both men will likely have their parliamentary immunity reinstated.
Hun Sen Friday thanked Sam Rainsy for his letter, which like Hun Sen's statement was read out on state television, and said he hoped his fierce political rival could soon return to Cambodia.
Sam Rainsy fled for France early last year after being stripped of his parliamentary immunity.
He was sentenced in December to 18 months in prison for defamation, in part for accusing the premier of orchestrating the grenade attack, which killed at least 16 people at an opposition rally.
Cheam Channy was convicted of fraud and trying to topple the government in proceedings that were widely dismissed as a politically motivated show trial.
The pardons cap a dramatic week in which government lawyers said they would drop defamation complaints against high-profile activists.
"Convict Sam Rainsy ... is pardoned," a statement from the palace read out on state television said.
The decision comes two days after Sam Rainsy recanted accusations that Prime Minister Hun Sen was behind a deadly 1997 grenade attack and other violent acts against his party.
Opposition lawmaker Cheam Channy, who has spent a year in prison, was also pardoned by King Norodom Sihamoni and would be freed Monday, fellow opposition legislator Son Chhay said Sunday.
"Cheam Channy has been pardoned and will be free from military prison tomorrow morning," he told AFP.
Hun Sen's adviser Om Yentieng confirmed the pair were pardoned by the king, who was acting on a request from Hun Sen.
He told AFP that both men will likely have their parliamentary immunity reinstated.
Hun Sen Friday thanked Sam Rainsy for his letter, which like Hun Sen's statement was read out on state television, and said he hoped his fierce political rival could soon return to Cambodia.
Sam Rainsy fled for France early last year after being stripped of his parliamentary immunity.
He was sentenced in December to 18 months in prison for defamation, in part for accusing the premier of orchestrating the grenade attack, which killed at least 16 people at an opposition rally.
Cheam Channy was convicted of fraud and trying to topple the government in proceedings that were widely dismissed as a politically motivated show trial.
The pardons cap a dramatic week in which government lawyers said they would drop defamation complaints against high-profile activists.
- AFP/ir
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