Phnom Penh, December 19, 2024: In preparation for the upcoming Victory Day over the Genocide Regime, the Ministry of Justice convened a critical meeting to review and evaluate requests for commutation and pardon among the prison population. The meeting was chaired by Mr. Koeut Rith, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice, who leads the National Committee responsible for this significant task.
Attending the session were the Vice President and members of the National Committee, prosecutors overseeing the four correctional centers, heads of the correctional facilities, and various experts in the field.
During the meeting, the Committee reviewed a total of 335 requests for commutation and pardon from prisoners across 23 provincial prisons and four correctional centers, including 39 women. After thorough evaluation, the Committee determined that 240 prisoners (26 of whom are women) met the necessary qualifications for sentence reduction and pardon. The specific breakdown is as follows:
- 183 prisoners (15 women) are eligible for a 3-month sentence reduction.
- 52 prisoners (11 women) qualify for a 6-month reduction.
- 5 prisoners are candidates for a 9-month reduction.
Conversely, 95 prisoners (13 women) were assessed as ineligible for sentence reduction due to serious offenses involving drug crimes, violent crimes, murder, human trafficking, and sexual assault, including egregious cases of familial abuse.
The Committee added two individuals convicted of raping their daughters to the "Black List," prohibiting any possibility of pardon. Currently, the Black List includes 68 convicts who have committed heinous crimes, including murder and sexual assault on minors.
The National Committee has established stringent criteria moving forward, declaring that requests for commutation will not be considered for prisoners involved in categories of offenses such as:
- Drug trafficking
- Heinous crimes
- Indecent acts or sexual violence against victims who are relatives or public officials
- Crimes against minors under 13, mentally ill or disabled individuals, or pregnant women
- Cases of incest or rape
- Recidivists who have previously received multiple sentence remissions
Furthermore, the Committee committed to a rigorous examination of pardon requests, allowing leniency only in exceptional circumstances for humanitarian reasons.
Plans are also underway for a special meeting to address the situation of female prisoners, particularly those who are pregnant or mothers, focusing on the potential for sentence leniency.
