Shortly before 10am on Friday, Mam Sonando was escorted by at least 5 policemen in a room where the curtains were shut to avoid cameras.
A few minutes earlier, the judge rejected his first bail request since
he had been sentenced to 20 years in jail last October. During the
hearing that lasted a bit longer than an hour, Mam
Sonando said that his health was deteriorating in prison because of the
bad conditions he had to endured and asked the judge to believe in his
honesty and good judicial record. This was echoed
by his lawyer, Sa Sovan, who said that if he were to be released on
bail, Mam Sonando would not leave the country nor speak with journalists
until his appeal is considered.
The prosecutor argued against Sonando’s release, saying the first
judgement should be enough to show Mam Sonando’s guilt. The Court stated
that he would not be released on the ground that the risks of
influencing witnesses and disrupt public order would be too high. The
judge denied him bail pursuant to articles 28, 464, 457, 504 and 609 of
the Penal Code, as already brought against him by the municipal court in
October.
0 comments:
แสดงความคิดเห็น