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Bangkok Court Commutes Death Sentence to Life for Gunman in Killing of Cambodian Opposition Figure

Attention shifts to the hunt for suspected Cambodian accomplices, with the mastermind still unknown.

Thai police officers escort Ekkalak Pheanoi, center, the accused in the shooting of Cambodian politician Lim Kimya, after he was deported from Cambodia, in Bangkok, Thailand, on Jan. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Panumas Sanguanwong)
Ekkalak Paenoi, a suspect in the assassination of a former politician with now-dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) Lim Kimya, 74, is escorted by police officers as he arrives in Thailand following handing over from Cambodia to Thai authorities, in Bangkok, Thailand, January 11, 2025. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa
The trial began just three days ago with an examination of witnesses, including Lim Kimya's widow, Anne-Marie Lim (centre, holding a photo of Lim Kimya)

Overview

  • The court initially imposed the death penalty on Ekkalak Paenoi and reduced it to life imprisonment because he confessed.
  • Judges ordered Ekkalak to pay 1.79 million baht in compensation to Lim Kimya’s family.
  • A second Thai defendant, Chakrit Buakhil, was cleared after the court found insufficient evidence he knew of the crime.
  • Thai warrants remain outstanding for Cambodian nationals Ly Ratanaksmey and Pich Kimsrin, who are believed to have fled to Cambodia.
  • Motive and possible orchestration remain disputed, with opposition figures alleging links to former leader Hun Sen and Cambodia’s government denying any involvement.