Belgium has signed a new agreement with Cambodia that will allow convicted prisoners to be transferred to serve their sentences in their country of origin, the foreign affairs and justice ministries announced on Friday.
The treaty was signed on 23 January in Phnom Penh by Belgium's ambassador to Thailand, who is also accredited to Cambodia, and Cambodia's minister of justice.
It follows joint diplomatic efforts by the FPS Foreign Affairs and the FPS Justice to conclude bilateral agreements on prisoner transfers.
Each year, a number of Belgians end up serving prison sentences abroad, often far from family and without the support structures needed to prepare for life after detention.
The new agreement will make it possible, with the consent of both states, for Belgian prisoners in Cambodia to serve their sentences in Belgium, and for Cambodian prisoners in Belgium to do the same in Cambodia.
Justice Minister Annelies Verlinden said the agreement would ease the burden on detainees and their families.
"It is often very difficult for relatives to obtain information and maintain contact when someone is imprisoned abroad," she said. "This agreement with Cambodia will help remove those obstacles and strengthen cooperation between the two countries."
Foreign Minister and deputy prime minister Maxime Prévot welcomed the outcome of what he described as intensive diplomatic negotiations.
"This treaty marks another step forward in our relations with Cambodia," he said. "It also underlines the key role played by foreign affairs in protecting Belgian citizens abroad."
According to the ministries, allowing detainees to serve their sentences closer to home should also improve their chances of successful reintegration once released, by enabling closer contact with family and better access to support services.
