The Supreme Court on September 30 upheld the six-year prison sentence for Seng Chan Theary, an outspoken Cambodian-American political activist and attorney who has been serving her term on charge of conspiracy to plotting against the government.

Defence lawyer Choung Chou Ngy regarded the ruling as unjust. “I think it was unfair for my client.”

Chou Ngy said he would meet with his client next week to tell her about the ruling and discuss further defence strategies with her.

Back on June 14, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court sentenced Theary to six years in prison for “plotting and fomenting insecurity in society”, in relation to the planned return of Sam Rainsy, former president of the now-defunct Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP).

Rainsy reportedly declared at the time that he would return to Cambodia and apprehend Prime Minister Hun Sen, while also calling on the armed forces to turn against the premier -- in what dubbed an attempt to overthrow the government through a "colour revolution".

The plotting charge and sentence was later upheld by the Court of Appeal.