Phuon Keoraksmey waves to supporters from a van returning her back to prison after a bail hearing at the Supreme Court this morning.

The Supreme Court this morning held a hearing on the bail request of five imprisoned Mother Nature environmental activists and scheduled a verdict to be issued on 30 April.

The detained environmentalist activists – Long Kunthea, Ly Chandaravuth, Phuon Keoraksmey, Thun Ratha and Yim Leanghy – were returned to separate prisons following this morning's hearing, which was held to discuss the activists' appeal of the 18 February decision by the Phnom Penh Appeal Court to deny them bail. All five have been in prison since 2 July 2024, when they were convicted and jailed by the Phnom Penh Capital Court on charges of plotting alongside five other Mother Nature members. Leanghy and two other members not detained were also convicted of insulting the king. The activists are seeking bail while these convictions are under appeal.

Mother Nature activists have faced consistent harassment, threats and criminal charges for their peaceful environmental activism, which has included advocating for the cancellation of land privatisation in Kirirom National Park, protection of forests in Kampot’s Bokor Mountain being cleared for a satellite city project, halting of sand mining in Koh Kong province, protection of Koh Kong Krao island, and preventing the flow of effluents and sewage into water bodies in Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville. Three of the five environmentalists – Keoaksmey, Kunthea, and Ratha – were also convicted of incitement in 2021 for their activism.

The Mother Nature activists are among 64 Prisoners of Interest in Cambodia, whose speech or activism has been classified as criminal.