Nearly three years after he was convicted, in September 2010, opposition leader Sam Rainsy has been officially removed from the Bar Association of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

According to a copy of a BAKC letter dated June 25, Rainsy has been “deleted” from the bar’s ranks.

“The reason why we decided to delete Mr. Sam Rainsy’s name . . . is because he lost his legal rehabilitation as a lawyer because he was sentenced to over 10 years imprisonment,” said association spokesman Yim Sary.

“The deletion is not related to politics at all,” he added, saying Rainsy’s case was raised recently as the new president began to clear a backlog of work.

According to the body’s internal rules, any lawyer convicted of a crime and sentenced to prison automatically loses his or her standing. If Rainsy’s sentence is served or lifted, he can re-apply for his licence, said Sary.

The Cambodia National Rescue Party president lives in self-imposed exile in Paris to avoid jail time on charges that include defamation and incitement.