Hun Sen, the leader of Cambodia, resigned from Facebook after the platform's oversight board suggested a six-month ban.
In a video that he posted to his since-deleted page, Hun Sen called for violence against his political opponents.
His action came just days before he starts a re-election campaign to continue his 38-year rule.
As a frequent Facebook user, Hun Sen had 14 million fans of his page. Now, he uses TikTok and Telegram.
Critics contend that his enormous social media following was partially generated by bots or fake accounts.
The Oversight Board of Facebook parent company Meta recommended his suspension for six months on Thursday due to a video posted in January. It overturned Facebook's earlier decision to let the video continue to play.
In the video, Hun Sen threatened opposition politicians with legal action or beatings with sticks if they accused his party in the upcoming election, which will take place in July, of vote fraud.
Hun Sen Hun Sen claimed to have asked a helper to delete his Facebook account shortly after the decision was made public.
Hun Sen has been accused of eradicating all opposition to his reelection before the July vote, despite the fact that his decades-long rule has been marred by accusations of human rights violations.
The Candlelight Party, his lone credible rival, was disqualified by Cambodia's electoral body in May due to a lack of required documentation.
For treason, which he vigorously denies, opposition leader Kem Sokha was sentenced to 27 years of house arrest in March.
