Cheam Channy

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Cheam Channy (born 15 February 1961) is a Cambodian politician and member of parliament for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP). He was elected as a representative for Battambang Province in the 1998 National Elections, then again for Kompong Cham province in 2003.

On 3 February 2005, a vote in the Cambodian National Assembly removed the parliamentary immunity from Channy, fellow MP Chea Poch and party leader Sam Rainsy. Rainsy and Poch, both facing possible charges of criminal defamation, left the country. Channy did not leave, and was arrested later the same day by military police. He was charged by the Cambodian Military Court with the criminal offences of Organised Crime and Fraud, as well as a military charge of disobeying orders. These charges relate to accusations that Channy had created an illegal army for the SRP.

The arrest and detention of Channy met with widespread international condemnation, including from the U.S. State Department, Human Rights Watch and the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Human Rights in Cambodia. On 10 March 2005, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling on the Cambodian government to "immediately and unconditionally" release him. Critics have claimed that the arrest is politically-motivated, and that under Cambodian law the Military Court has no jurisdiction over civilians such as Channy. The Cambodian government denies these accusations.

Cheam Channy was brought to trial on August 8, after courts exhausted the maximum six months allowed by Cambodian law for pre-trial detention. At trial, Military Court Judge and President Ney Thol, seriously obstructed the ability of Channy's defense lawyers to defend their client according to Cambodian legal procedure by interrupting lawyers for the defense while questioning their client and during cross-examination of the prosecution witnesses.

On August 9, the Military Court sentenced Cheam Channy to 7 years imprisonment, concluding what has been referred to as a show trial by the local media and international community. Following his conviction, Channy was returned to solitary confinement in the Phnom Penh military prison, and declared to be a "Prisoner of conscience" by Amnesty International.

On 6 February 2006 Cheam Channy was released from prison after being granted a royal pardon by King Norodom Sihamoni.