Ten members of the Khmer National Liberation Front charged with treason for their role in handing out anti-Vietnamese propaganda last year were denied bail at the Supreme Court yesterday.

Judge Khem Punn presided over the hearing, with prosecutor Nov Monychut also in attendance.

Chuong Choungy, defence lawyer for the 10 charged, maintained his clients’ innocence, saying extended detention was not necessary given how long they’ve been locked up already.

“My clients have done nothing wrong to society, and there is nothing that can prove they [were treasonous] as charged,” he said.

“I think their detention is unnecessary, as my clients have been detained for many months already.

They should be bailed out temporarily to avoid violating their rights.”

An Chan, 25, one of those charged, proclaimed his innocence after the hearing, calling the charges unfounded.

“I am innocent, and there is no evidence to prove the allegations against me. The court is unjust,” he said.

The 10 were previously denied bail by the Court of Appeal in April of this year.

They were initially arrested on October 23, 2014, while holding a demonstration in front of the Vietnamese Embassy.

They were charged with treason under Article 453 of the Criminal Code.

After their arrest, authorities allegedly recovered a trove of KNLF materials, including statements and leaflets that were reportedly distributed prior to the protest in 2014.

The KNLF are considered a terrorist group by the Cambodian government.