human rights defender
Chea Chantha
Actions and Campaigns
Chea Chantha
HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER
Urgent support needed
Legal aid and social assistance
Organization affiliation
- Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Association (IDEA)
HRD's year of birth
1983
HRD's Gender
Man
Type of HRD
- NGO member
HRD's thematic area of engagement
- Labour rights
HRD's geographical origin
Urban
Current Status
In prison (pre-trial)
HRD's bio and work
Mr. Chea Chantha, born on 1983, in Kampong Cham province, lives with his family in Krong Bavet, Svay Rieng province. He works as a tuk-tuk driver. In 2023, Chantha became the local leader for the Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Association (IDEA) in Svay Rieng province. In this role, he forms networks for informal workers, such as tuk-tuk drivers and vendors. On July 19, 2024, Mr. Chea Chantha was accused of “fraud” and “activities causing misapprehension with the discharge of public functions” under Cambodia’s Criminal Code by the Svay Rieng Provincial Court. He has been in pre-trial detention since then. The accusations relate to his activities on July 16, 2024, when he raised awareness among vendors and tuk-tuk drivers about climate change, plastic use, waste management, and promoted the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) in Krong Bavet, Svay Rieng province. He was arrested during this visit. If convicted, he could face up to three years in prison.
Detained since
Jul 19, 2024
Charge(s)
- Other
Sentence
18 months’ imprisonment on charges of “fraud” and “activities causing misapprehension in the discharge of public functions” under Articles 377, 378, and 610 of the Cambodian Criminal Code.
Latitude: 11.08474011948178
Longitude: 105.80419725103393
Geolocation of detention
Country or area of detention
Region of detention
- Asia: South-eastern Asia
Location of detention - City/Town
Svay Rieng
Location of detention - Facility
Svay Rieng provincial prison
Recent case update / evolution
The Svay Rieng Provincial Court heard the case on 27 November 2024. In its verdict issued on 9 December 2024, the Court sentenced Chea Chantha to 18 months’ imprisonment on charges of “fraud” and “activities causing misapprehension in the discharge of public functions” under Articles 377, 378, and 610 of the Cambodian Criminal Code. Mr. Chantha’s appeal hearing was scheduled for 15 July 2025. On 31 July 2025, the Phnom Penh Court of Appeal upheld the guilty verdict of the Svay Rieng Provincial Court, despite 52 Cambodian civil society organizations (CSOs) having called for the charges to be dropped and for his release one day prior to the appeal hearing.
Any other relevant documents
[Civil society organizations, express deep regret towards the Svay Rieng Provincial Court’s continued and unjust detention of Mr. Chea Chantha and called for charges against him to be dropped and for his release] (https://cchrcambodia.org/en/publications/press-releases/call-to-drop-all-charges-and-release-chea-chantha)
Attachments
Documented by
- Country(ies) of nationality
- HRD's year of birth
- 1983
- HRD's Gender
- Man
- Type of HRD
- NGO member
- HRD's thematic area of engagement
- Labour rights
- Organization affiliation
- Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Association (IDEA)
- HRD's Picture
- HRD's bio and work
Mr. Chea Chantha, born on 1983, in Kampong Cham province, lives with his family in Krong Bavet, Svay Rieng province. He works as a tuk-tuk driver. In 2023, Chantha became the local leader for the Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Association (IDEA) in Svay Rieng province. In this role, he forms networks for informal workers, such as tuk-tuk drivers and vendors. On July 19, 2024, Mr. Chea Chantha was accused of “fraud” and “activities causing misapprehension with the discharge of public functions” under Cambodia’s Criminal Code by the Svay Rieng Provincial Court. He has been in pre-trial detention since then. The accusations relate to his activities on July 16, 2024, when he raised awareness among vendors and tuk-tuk drivers about climate change, plastic use, waste management, and promoted the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) in Krong Bavet, Svay Rieng province. He was arrested during this visit. If convicted, he could face up to three years in prison.
- HRD's geographical origin
- Urban
- Country or area of detention
- Region of detention
- Asia: South-eastern Asia
- Location of detention - City/Town
- Svay Rieng
- Location of detention - Facility
- Svay Rieng provincial prison
- Geolocation of detention
Latitude: 11.08474011948178
Longitude: 105.80419725103393
- Geolocation of detention
- Detained since
- Jul 19, 2024
- Current Status
- In prison (pre-trial)
- Charge(s)
- Other
- Sentence
18 months’ imprisonment on charges of “fraud” and “activities causing misapprehension in the discharge of public functions” under Articles 377, 378, and 610 of the Cambodian Criminal Code.
- Recent case update / evolution
The Svay Rieng Provincial Court heard the case on 27 November 2024. In its verdict issued on 9 December 2024, the Court sentenced Chea Chantha to 18 months’ imprisonment on charges of “fraud” and “activities causing misapprehension in the discharge of public functions” under Articles 377, 378, and 610 of the Cambodian Criminal Code. Mr. Chantha’s appeal hearing was scheduled for 15 July 2025. On 31 July 2025, the Phnom Penh Court of Appeal upheld the guilty verdict of the Svay Rieng Provincial Court, despite 52 Cambodian civil society organizations (CSOs) having called for the charges to be dropped and for his release one day prior to the appeal hearing.
- Protection actions and campaigns
- Urgent support needed
Legal aid and social assistance
- Any other relevant documents
[Civil society organizations, express deep regret towards the Svay Rieng Provincial Court’s continued and unjust detention of Mr. Chea Chantha and called for charges against him to be dropped and for his release] (https://cchrcambodia.org/en/publications/press-releases/call-to-drop-all-charges-and-release-chea-chantha)
- Documented by
- Consent status
- Consent to register, store and publish the information
sorted by
Date added
4 relationships, 3 entities