On July 10, 2016, human rights defender and independent political analyst, Kem Ley, was murdered in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Ley is the founder of the grassroots organization Khmer for Khmer, and was murdered days after speaking with Radio Free Asia about a recent Global Witness report that documented the corruption of the Prime Minister of Cambodia, Hun Sen. The report “reveals the economic dimensions of this regime, shedding light on a huge network of secret deal-making and nepotism that emanates from the Hun family and underpins the Cambodian economy.”

Though authorities arrested a suspect who claimed to have killed the activist over unpaid debts, many Cambodians believe the murder was a politically motivated act, and the 46-year-old’s death has heightened political tension throughout the country. In a show of solidarity, 70 civil society organizations endorsed a statement condemning the act of violence and calling for a “prompt, independent and thorough investigation, including a forensic examination by an independent and expert pathologist” to give Ley and his family justice.

Nearly 5,000 people participated in a procession march across Phnom Penh to bring Ley’s body to Wat Chas pagoda. The World Movement for Democracy joins the international community and the procession marchers in urging the Cambodian authorities to conduct a transparent investigation into Ley’s death.