Phnom Penh Municipal Court Investigating Judge Ly Sokha has placed Siem Phluk, founder of the National Heart Party (NHP), in pre-trial detention on charges of forgery and the use of forged documents allegedly committed in 2021.

According to the detention warrant, he was charged under articles 626, 627 and 628 of the Criminal Code.

Phluk’s lawyer Choung Chou Ngy confirmed that his client was arrested on April 27, saying he was due to meet with him at Prey Sar prison on April 29 to discuss exercising the right of appeal against his detention.

He said the arrest and detention of his client was politically motivated, as his client had merely tried to register his political party but was denied by the Ministry of Interior. Later, the ministry had brought the case to court accusing him of forging documents and using them.

He said the detention showed political discrimination, and was inconsistent with a liberal multi-party democracy.

“It seems that there are restrictions to political participation, because he tried to register the NHP. He failed to do so, and has instead been charged and jailed,” he said.

Interior ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak said on April 28 that Phluk was arrested according to the court warrant. The ministry was not the complainant – the National Police were, and it was them who had filed the complaint to the court.

“We have the arrest warrant dated April 25. He knowingly avoided arrest and was only taken into custody when he returned home,” he said.

The ministry rejected the registration of the NHP in March 2020 due to allegedly forged documents. The move prompted Phluk to file a complaint to the Supreme Court, which ruled on December 24 last year that the rejection was just.