“The big political parties have negotiated and I was released immediately,” a beaming Chet said yesterday. “I have belief that in the future, there will be negotiations to release all prisoners of conscience.”

But while happy to be free, Chet questioned the court’s procedures, which saw him convicted of giving Chandaraty’s mother about $500 – money he said came from overseas donors, and which the familiy reportedly did not accept – to supplement the loss of her daughter’s job. “I clarified to the court the reasons why it took place, but they continued to detain me. And then the court proceeded to sentence me to five years,” he said.

With Chet’s release secured, focus now shifts to the five jailed human rights officials – Adhoc staffers Lim Mony, Yi Soksan, Ny Sokha and Nay Vanda, and National Election Committee official Ny Chakrya – who are still in the investigative phase of their bribery cases.

Legal expert Sok Sam Oeun yesterday said there were four ways to release the jailed officials: an immediate royal pardon, a swift conviction followed by a pardon, termination of the ongoing investigation or the granting of bail. “I think that it would most likely be a pardon,” he said, adding that there was no need to wait for a conviction to issue one.

CNRP spokesman Yim Sovann refused to elaborate on how exactly the five would be released, but said there would likely be a conviction first.“I think their position is similar to that of Mr Kem Sokha and Seang Chet. The court will first sentence them and then they will be pardoned,” he said.

Sovann refused to comment on whether it was fair to convict the five in order to ensure a pardon. “Everyone knows that it is a politically motivated move,” he said. “I cannot comment on whether it is fair or not.”

Hem Sunrith, Nay Vanda’s lawyer, yesterday said that the municipal court, in a document dated December 7, had closed the investigation into the case against the five and would soon proceed to trial.