Cambodian Justice Ministry Denies Wrongful Arrest Claims in Forest Destruction Case

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice, Mr. Aim Chanmora, stated that the case of Mr. Sley Wort, which has caused a stir on social media in recent days, was not an arrest of the wrong person as reported. Speaking to Kampuchea Thmey on the afternoon of September 4th, Mr. Aim Chanmora said that after reviewing the records of the Stung Treng Provincial Court, the Ministry of Justice acknowledged that the Stung Treng Provincial Court had correctly implemented all legal procedures. He also affirmed that Mr. Sley Wort himself "never denied his identity at any stage, whether before the investigating judge or the trial chamber." "Throughout these legal procedures, the accused never denied his identity (that he was not Mr. Sley Wort) before the court. Therefore, the court has a duty to continue the trial proceedings in accordance with the law," Mr. Aim Chanmora clarified. Regarding the release of Mr. Sley Wort, the Ministry of Justice spokesperson further clarified that it was not due to mistaken identity. The release occurred because the trial chamber assessed that "there was insufficient and solid evidence to burden the accused." Consequently, the court decided to release him from the charges of "clearing, hacking, uprooting, burning, and bulldozing forest land for ownership" under Article 62 of the Law on Natural Protected Areas. It should be noted that on September 3rd, Mr. Sley Wort, a Khmer Muslim, lodged a complaint with the Ministry of Justice, demanding an investigation into the irregularities in the implementation of the law by the Stung Treng Provincial Court, which he claimed had detained him with the wrong identity for nearly a year. However, the Stung Treng Provincial Court had previously stated that it had followed all procedures correctly and there was no mistaken arrest. Source: Kampuchea Thmey Local