The European Parliament (EP) resolution of 14 December highlights the worsening climate for opposition politicians, human rights activists and civil society, strongly condemning the dissolution of the CNRP and arrest of its leader, Kem Sokha, calling for his immediate and unconditional release and that of other opposition parliamentarians.
FIDH provided a comprehensive briefing prior to the vote and maintains a regular flow of information to update the EP on the latest developments at a grassroots level. The resolution further stresses that respect for fundamental human rights is a prerequisite to benefit from the EU’s preferential EBA scheme, highlighting the spectre of a withdrawal from these preferential tariffs for Cambodia. Moreover, it calls for possible visa restrictions and asset freezes on the individuals responsible for the dissolution of the opposition and other serious human rights violations.