(CNN) Cambodian opposition party leader Kem Sokha has been released from prison on bail, almost a year after he was detained on charges of treason, according state news agency Agence Kampuchea Press Monday. Sokha, head of the outlawed opposition party, the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), had been held in solitary confinement since arrest in September last year, following a sweeping government crackdown on opposition groups and media. An August report by Human Rights Watch said Sokha's condition had deteriorated since his imprisonment and he now had difficulty standing for long periods of time. "Despite the excitement connected to today's release, we're still a long way from a meaningful restoration of democracy and respect for human rights in Cambodia," he added. The CNRP had been the country's biggest opposition party and won three million votes, or around 44% of the total, during the previous general elections in 2013.

Source: CNN September 10, 2018 06:04 UTC