Three-year sentence issued in second known conviction under new lèse-majesté law

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

A Cambodian court has jailed a man for three years for insulting the king in Facebook posts, the second known conviction under a new lèse-majesté law enacted last year that rights groups fear could be used to stifle dissent.

“The court announced a verdict against Ieng Cholsa which sentenced him to three years in prison and ordered him to pay five million riels (£974),” a Phnom Penh municipal court spokesman said.

The Facebook posts, which the court found had insulted the Cambodian king, Norodom Sihamoni, were uploaded in June, the spokesman said.

Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The defendant could not be reached for comment and the court did not say whether he had a lawyer.

Cambodia’s lèse-majesté law was unanimously adopted by parliament in February last year. Rights groups expressed concerns at the time that the law, which is similar to legislation in neighbouring Thailand, could be used to silence government critics.

Last October a court in the northern province of Siem Reap jailed a member of the dissolved opposition Cambodia National Rescue party (CNRP) under the law.

The supreme court dissolved the CNRP in 2017 at the government’s request after it was found guilty of plotting to take power with the help of the US, an accusation the party and Washington have denied.

The prime minister, Hun Sen, and his ruling Cambodian People’s party won a general election in July that critics said was flawed because of a lack of a credible opposition, among other factors.