Washington D.C. – Perseus Strategies, June 02, 2025
Renowned human rights lawyer Theary Seng announced from Prey Sar Correction Center II in Phnom Penh that she has begun a hunger strike in advance of the third anniversary of her wrongful detention in Cambodia. This marks her fourth hunger strike since her imprisonment on June 14, 2022. In addition to demanding her release and that of the other political prisoners in Cambodia, she seeks to draw greater international attention to the deteriorating situation of human rights and democracy in the country. International counsel at Perseus Strategies, Jared Genser and Hannah Pierce-Carty, along with some of Theary’s friends and family, are participating in 24-hour fasts in solidarity with her, and supporters are encouraged to join.
Theary is a U.S.-Cambodia dual citizen and a human rights icon in Cambodia. After her parents were murdered by the Khmer Rouge, she escaped to the U.S. as a child. Theary later graduated from Georgetown University and the University of Michigan Law School, then bravely returned to Cambodia to found two organizations focused on civic engagement and justice for survivors of genocide. She became a high-profile critic of Hun Sen – the country’s strongman dictator – and has long been targeted for her advocacy. In a sham mass trial alongside 60 political opposition leaders, she was detained and convicted on June 14, 2022 for “conspiracy to commit treason” and “incitement to create social disorder” – simply for criticizing the regime in a series of Facebook posts. In July 2023, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention published its judgment that Theary’s detention was arbitrary, politically motivated, and in violation of international law. Not only were her charges blatantly fabricated, but she also faced a litany of due process abuses. The American Bar Association and Clooney Foundation for Justice rated her trial with a grade of “F.” Nevertheless, she and many others remain detained in inhuman conditions. Theary has appealed her conviction, though this process has been excessively delayed.
There is significant concern for Theary’s health and well-being during this hunger strike, especially given that it is her fourth since her detention.
