Q&A Cambodia Land Rights / Williams & Abbott / In Cambodia, a
court has ordered the release of 13 women who were imprisoned after
protesting in support of families whose homes were destroyed during
forced evictions. The women were sentenced last month to two and a half
years in prison, following a brief trial that rights groups described as
hasty and unfair. Many of the women cheered and wiped tears from their
eyes as the judge read the verdict in the high-profile case, which had
drawn the attention of international diplomats. Rupert Abbott is Amnesty
International's researcher on Cambodia. Speaking from London, he tells
VOA’s Sarah Williams about the case. He says the women’s convictions
were not overturned, which means they could be subject to re-arrest. He
says the issue of land eviction remains controversial, after the Khmer
Rouge ousted many people from their land in the 1970’s.
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