human rights defender
Organization affiliation
- Cambodian Tourism and Service Workers’ Federation (CTSWF)
HRD's year of birth
1982
HRD's Gender
Man
Type of HRD
- Trade union leader
HRD's thematic area of engagement
- Labour rights
HRD's geographical origin
Urban
Current Status
Released
HRD's bio and work
Mr. Morm Rithy has extensive experience in the labor sector. He began his career in various informal jobs, including domestic work, factory work, construction, security, and baking. In 1999, he joined a union while working as a baker. From 2006 to 2008, he served as vice president of a union at the City Royal Hotel, becoming its president in 2009. Since 2010, he has been the president of the Cambodian Tourism and Service Workers’ Federation (CTSWF). Additionally, he holds roles as the second vice president of the Cambodian Labor Confederation (CLC) and vice president of the Cambodian Council of National Unions (CCNU). His nearly 20 years of experience in the labor sector are driven by his personal experiences of exploitation and his commitment to promoting and protecting labor rights.
Detained since
May 8, 2024
Date of release
Nov 7, 2025
Charge(s)
- Other
Sentence
18 months imprisonment 2 million riel fine. He was released on 7 November 2025, after serving his prison sentence.
Latitude: 11.557900560316286
Longitude: 104.73238975595758
Geolocation of detention
Country or area of detention
Region of detention
- Asia: South-eastern Asia
Location of detention - City/Town
Phnom Penh
Location of detention - Facility
Correnctional Center 1 in Phnom Penh
Recent case update / evolution
On 23 December 2025, the Supreme Court upheld the conviction of Mr. Morn Rithy, a labour rights defender and President of the Cambodian Tourism and Service Workers’ Federation (CTSWF). On 27 May 2025, the Phnom Penh Court of Appeal upheld the conviction issued by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on 7 May 2024, which had sentenced Mr. Morn Rithy in absentia to 18 months’ imprisonment and a fine of two million riels (approximately USD 500) on charges of “incitement to commit a felony” and “discrediting judicial decisions” under Articles 494, 495, and 523 of the Cambodian Criminal Code. Mr. Rithy was arrested and transferred to Phnom Penh Correctional Center 1 on the same day the first instance court verdict was issued. He was released on 7 November 2025 after serving his prison sentence. The charges against Mr. Rithy stemmed from a Facebook livestream in February 2022, during which he criticized a court decision to detain a worker from Jin Bei 2 Casino in Preah Sihanouk Province.
Any other relevant documents
Morm Rithy trial updates: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=878609154537121&set=a.198192385912138
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