Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Vũ Quang Minh said the Treaty on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons between Việt Nam and Cambodia is a very humanitarian arrangement. — Photo vietnamplus

PHNOM PENH — Vietnamese criminals jailed in Cambodia could soon be allowed to return to their home country to serve their sentence.

From October 1, the Treaty on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons between Việt Nam and Cambodia will come into effect.

It also means Cambodian inmates in Vietnamese prisons could also request extradition to return to their home country to complete their sentences.  

This will make it easier for families of those behind bars to visit and support their relatives in prison. 

Kim Santepheap, Secretary of State at the Cambodia's Ministry of Justice, said the treaty will benefit both nations and it was different from an extradition agreement.

It will allow the transfer of sentenced persons between the two nations, he said, adding that in some cases, families of the sentenced persons can also request the respective governments for the transfer.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Vũ Quang Minh said this is a humanitarian arrangement, reflecting mutual trust and close co-operation between law enforcement authorities of the two countries.

He said the treaty would help both sides to transfer certain inmates to continue serving their sentences in their own countries so their families can also visit and support them while in prison.

The ambassador expressed his hope that Việt Nam and Cambodia will continue their joint efforts to find and curb transnational crimes, including human trafficking, drug smuggling and illegal trade, and reduce the crime rates in both countries.

Kin Phea, Director-General of the Royal Academy of Cambodia’s International Relations Institute, described the treaty as a good legal instrument that highlights good legal co-operation between the two countries.

During his visit to Việt Nam in December 2016, Prime Minister Hun Sen and his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyễn Xuân Phúc witnessed the signing of three cooperative agreements, including the Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters between the two nations and the Treaty on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons.

In May 2020, the Vietnamese Embassy presented 4,000 antimicrobial face masks to detention centres through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Cambodia.

The support was in response to a call from the ICRC in Cambodia for medical supplies for detainees amid the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic. — VNS