human rights defender

Chea Chantha

Actions and Campaigns

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 (sentenced)

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. On 30 December 2025, the Supreme Court ordered the Appeal Court to re-try his case.

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)

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