Over 600 Inmates Seek Pardons
The Justice Ministry on April 4 convened a meeting and decided on the 668 prisoners requesting commutation and pardon. Photo: Ministry of Justice
- By Teng Yalirozy
- April 5, 2023 6:20 PM
PHNOM PENH – More than 600 inmates have sought commutation of their sentences and pardons on the occasion of Khmer New Year and the Buddhist holiday Vesak Day.
The Justice Ministry on April 4 convened a meeting and decided on the 668 prisoners requesting commutation and pardon.
Of these, 345 asked for commutation of sentence and pardons on the occasion of the traditional New Year while the rest requested commutation and pardon on the occasion of Vesak Day.
Justice Ministry spokesman Kim Santepheap could not be reached for comment.
Cambodia grants pardons and commutations of prisoners five times a year, including Victory Day on genocide, Khmer New Year, Vesak Day, Independence Day and the Water Festival, according to a royal decree from 2021.
Commutation and amnesty are only given to prisoners who are elderly, pregnant or chronically ill with a doctor's certificate.
To be granted commutation of the sentence, the prisoner must have served two-thirds of their sentence. Inmates with a life sentence must first serve 10 years.
As of October 2022, there were 38,050 prisoners in jail, including pre-trial detainees and remand prisoners, according to the Interior Ministry.
