Phnom penh: The National Commission for Review and Evaluation of the List of Convicts Requesting Sentence Reduction and Pardons is reviewing clemency applications for more than 1,200 inmates ahead of the upcoming Khmer New Year and Visak Bochea festivals, the Ministry of Justice said on Wednesday. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice H.E. Koeut Rith led a high-level committee meeting on Mar. 31 to evaluate 1,254 prisoners-including 105 women-seeking either reduced sentences or full royal pardons.
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, the review is a standard procedure in the Kingdom of Cambodia, where the Royal Government typically recommends inmates for clemency during major cultural and religious milestones. Official data shows that 668 inmates, including 53 women, have applied for sentence relief on Khmer New Year, while 586 inmates, including 52 women, are under consideration for Visak Bochea.
The applicants represent 24 provincial and municipal prisons and four correctional centres. Under Cambodian law, eligibility for clemency generally requires inmates to have served at least one-third of their sentence for reductions, or two-thirds for a full pardon, while demonstrating significant rehabilitation.
The commission's recommendations will be submitted to Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet before a final request for royal assent is presented to His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni.