PHNOM PENH: A Cambodian court has found opposition politician Thiev Vannor guilty of defamation and fined him $1.5 million for comments he made to foreign media about the state of democracy in the country, a human rights watchdog said.
Candlelight leader Van Nor said in an interview with the Nikkei newspaper in February that democracy in the Southeast Asian country was deteriorating under the government of Hun Manet, the son of the country’s longtime leader Hun Sen, who came to power last year.
The Candlelight Party was banned from taking part in last year’s general election, which was won by a landslide by Hun’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party.
A Phnom Penh court on Thursday found Vanol guilty of violating Article 305 of the penal code on defamation and ordered him to pay 6 billion riel (about $1.5 million) in damages, rights group LICADHO and an independent human rights watchdog told Reuters, both of which were represented in court.
Spokesmen for the court and government could not immediately be reached. Vanolle is currently out of the country and his lawyer did not respond to calls from Reuters.
Successive Cambodian governments have repeatedly denied cracking down on dissent and insist politicians and activists are only prosecuted if they have committed a crime.
Concerns about political freedoms in Cambodia continue to grow, with analysts saying Hun Sen’s rule was marked by a crackdown on opposition parties, closure of independent media and jailing of activists.
“As opposition leader, Vannol made comments to journalists criticising his political opponents. How can that be a crime?” said Naly Pirolge of LICADHO.
“Any hope for democracy and political freedom depends on all citizens being able to freely voice their concerns and criticisms of the country’s political leaders.”
Human rights monitor Kim Pissis, who was present in court, said the sentence sent a chilling message that anyone who criticizes the government could be tried, jailed and faced heavy fines.
The verdict came just weeks after a Cambodian court sentenced a group of environmental activists to up to eight years in prison for plotting against the government and insulting the king.