Sam Rainsy went into exile in late 2015 to avoid a two-year prison sentence on charges of criminal defamation. Other legal cases have since been lodged against him by the government.
2015 年底，桑兰西因刑事诽谤罪被判两年监禁，为了逃避监禁，他流亡海外。在那之后，当地政府对桑兰西提起了其他司法诉讼。