WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse issued the following statement regarding the ongoing trials of opposition activists in Cambodia:

“We are deeply concerned by the backsliding of democratic norms and apparent lack of respect for the rule of law in Cambodia.  It is a critically important principle that prosecutions are in fact not politically motivated nor have the appearance of political motivation.  Further, defendants should not be prevented from being present at their own trials.  As such, we urge the Government of Cambodia to permit those who have been accused to safely return to Cambodia for trial.”