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Cambodia's Appeal Court rejects opposition senator's bail request

Xinhua, September 2, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Appeal Court of Cambodia on Wednesday rejected a bail request for opposition Senator Hong Sok Hour, who was charged with forgery and incitement for posting to Facebook a fake border treaty with Vietnam.

Hong Sok Hour, 59, was arrested on Aug. 15 in Phnom Penh, three days after he posted to Facebook the fake international treaty related to the Cambodia-Vietnam border.

During a bail hearing, defense lawyer Chuong Choungy argued that the senator's pre-trial detention did not follow legal procedures and he should not be caught in the act as the charges claimed.

The lawyer requested the court to release his client on bail, but the court rejected the request.

"The Appeal Court's questioning judge (Khun Leang Meng) decided not to release him on bail," Chuong Choungy told reporters after the one-hour hearing.

According to the lawyer, the judge explained that the senator's continued detention was to prevent the repeat of crimes, to enable the Phnom Penh Municipal Court to proceed with the case smoothly, and to avoid any chaos that could arise from his release.

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court charged him with falsifying a public document, using the falsified document, and inciting chaos to social security.

Under the country's penal code, with the charges, the senator could face up to 17 years in prison if convicted. Endi