بِسۡمِ ٱللَّٰهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
وَذَا النُّونِ إِذۡ ذَّهَبَ مُغَاضِبًا فَظَنَّ أَن لَّن نَّقۡدِرَ عَلَيۡهِ فَنَادَىٰ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ أَن لَّا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبۡحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ ٨٧ فَاسۡتَجَبۡنَا لَهُ وَنَجَّيۡنَاهُ مِنَ الۡغَمِّ ۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُنجِي الۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ٨٨
And [mention] the man of the fish, when he went in anger and thought that We would not decree upon him. And he called out within the darknesses, “There is no deity except You, exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.” (87) So We responded to him and saved him from the distress. And thus do We save the believers. (88)
سورة الأنبياء — الآيتان ٨٧ و ٨٨
Free Ahmad Yahyaដោះលែង អាហ្ម៉ាត់ យ៉ាហ្យា
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His family and the Cham community believe he is innocent. Help us call for the fair retrial that can prove it.
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About This Campaign
The Justice for Ahmad Yahya Campaign is organized by the friends and family of Ahmad Yahya. We are calling for his retrial to be conducted fairly, transparently, and free from outside influence, and for his right to due process to be fully respected. If you believe in a justice system that treats everyone equally under the law, please add your name and sign the petition.
About Ahmad Yahya
Ahmad Yahya is a Cambodian politician and a prominent leader in Cambodia's Cham Muslim community. Over a long career in public life, he served as a member of the National Assembly and held senior government positions, including secretary of state at the Ministry of Social Affairs. He became one of the most recognized advocates for the Cham Muslim minority, a community that has endured profound hardship in Cambodia's history. He is remembered by many for his commitment to education, including sponsoring an estimated 200 to 300 Cham students to study at Norton University in Phnom Penh. Ahmad Yahya is currently at the center of a legal case that his family and the Cham community believe was decided unjustly.
His Service to the Cham Community
For decades, Ahmad Yahya was one of the most visible voices for Cambodia's Cham Muslim community. As a member of the National Assembly and a senior government official, he carried the concerns of a minority that had endured profound hardship into the highest levels of Cambodian politics, where Cham voices have rarely been heard. He believed deeply in education as a path forward for his community. Over the years, he sponsored an estimated 200 to 300 Cham students to study at Norton University in Phnom Penh, opening a door to higher education that many of them could never have walked through on their own. To countless families, he was someone to turn to. He was a representative who understood where they came from and worked to make sure they were not forgotten. This is the Ahmad Yahya that his friends and family ask you to remember as you consider his case.
A Connection to Students and Community
Beyond his work in government, Ahmad Yahya stayed closely connected to the everyday life of the Cham Muslim community. He founded Muslim Alumni, a network for Cham Muslim university graduates that gave students and young professionals a way to support one another, share guidance, and stay rooted in their community as they built their careers. He was also a regular presence at Friday prayers, where he would meet with students and community members afterward to hear their concerns, offer guidance, and stay connected to the people he served. For many young Cham Muslims, he was not a distant official but someone they could speak with directly, who took the time to know them and their families.
Why This Matters
Ahmad Yahya's defense has raised a serious legal concern about his conviction: he was charged and sentenced under a 2008 human trafficking law for conduct alleged to have taken place in 2004, before that law existed. Punishing someone under a law that was not in force at the time violates a basic principle of justice recognized in Cambodia and around the world. On these grounds, Cambodia's Supreme Court ordered his case sent for retrial, a recognition that the original conviction raised real questions that must be properly examined.
For a complete account of his political career and the case against him, including independent sources, read the full background here.
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