This morning, the Phnom Penh Appeal Court upheld CNRP activist Ouk Pich Samnang’s conviction, in a case relating to an October 2014 protest in which he had been injured by Daun Penh district security guards.
Samnang had been tried and convicted in September 2015 of intentional violence and obstructing authorities and sentenced to two years in prison, in a decision largely decried due to lack of evidence and contradictory witness testimony.

During the appeal hearing, held on June 30, 2016, Samnang repeatedly challenged the legitimacy of his conviction, denied having committed any violence and expressed skepticism that his appeal would be allowed. Witness testimony was once again contradictory and limited evidence was presented to justify the trial court’s decision.

Ouk Pich Samnang has been detained for exactly one year today, alongside 17 other opposition members and activists detained within the last year.