Supporters Petition for Tep Vanny's Release After One Year in Prison
Published on 15 August 2017
Supporters of land activist and human rights defender, Tep Vanny, have marked the one year anniversary of her unjust detention by calling for international help to secure her release.
A group from Boeung Kak Lake community delivered petitions to embassies and international organisations, starting Monday at the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and at six embassies of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). They continued Tuesday at nine others, including the US, Japan, Germany and the European Union.
Tep Vanny was arrested a year ago and charged during a peaceful protest supporting five jailed human rights defenders who are now released on bail. She was subsequently convicted of “insulting a public official” and sentenced to six days in prison. While she was imprisoned, three long dormant cases related to other peaceful protests were re-opened in politically-motivated trials which fell far short of acceptable legal standards. She is currently serving a 30 month sentence. A further six month sentence is awaiting a final appeal decision and she is on trial on a third re-activated charge.
Representatives from Boeung Kak Lake will hold a candlelight vigil in the community along with NGOs and other civil society groups on Tuesday evening from 5pm to mark the anniversary and to call again on Cambodian authorities to release her.
Their call has been supported in a joint media statement endorsed by 65 national and international civil society organisations as well as in other joint statements and advocacy initiatives from international and regional NGOs.
