Peter Greste, the Australian journalist who was jailed in Egypt for more than a year while working for Al Jazeera, says the Government "clearly needs to do more" in assisting filmmaker James Ricketson who has been convicted of spying in Cambodia.

Key points: Australian filmmaker James Ricketson was found guilty of espionage in a Cambodian court and sentenced to six years in prison

Australian filmmaker James Ricketson was found guilty of espionage in a Cambodian court and sentenced to six years in prison Peter Greste says the Government has leverage in Cambodia, should do more

Peter Greste says the Government has leverage in Cambodia, should do more Spokesman for the Cambodian Australian Federation says Canberra should take diplomatic action

Ricketson was found guilty of espionage in a Cambodian court on Friday and sentenced to six years in prison, with judges ruling he used documentary projects and humanitarian work as cover while collecting information that could jeopardise Cambodia's national security.

Offering a unique insight into what Ricketson might be feeling, Mr Greste — who spent 400 days in an Egyptian prison on charges his news reporting for Al Jazeera were 'damaging the national security' — told RN Breakfast the large sentence would have been "absolutely devastating" for the filmmaker.

"You really can't conceive of that length of time in prison until you actually have to confront it in all its stark reality," Greste told host Fran Kelly.

"I remember I felt as though I'd been king hit by Mike Tyson. It just felt like a solid physical blow, and incredibly disorienting."

Following the verdict, Ricketson's family asserted, "James is not a spy" and called on the Australian Government to step in to help the 69-year-old, who has already been held in the Prey Sar prison for 14 months and is suffering from multiple health issues.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and new Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne both said Ricketson would receive consular support, with Senator Payne adding Australia would consider any "further appropriate support" after any appeal avenues under Cambodian law were pursued.

Ricketson has 30 days from the verdict to appeal against his sentence.

But Greste said the Government could do better.

"I think the Government clearly needs to do more," Greste said.

The Australian filmmaker's family has asserted that "James is not a spy". ( Reuters: Samrang Pring )

"The Australian Government insists that it's a defender of the basic democratic principles in the region, including things like rule of law, due process, basic human rights.

"And if it wants to be taken seriously and with respect then it needs to forcefully stand by those values in cases like James's."

Greste said in his case with Egypt, the Government did not have much sway, but in Ricketson's case — due to Australia's influence in the region — the situation is different.

"In Egypt's case, Australia had very few levers that it could pull. It's got far more levers … in Cambodia's case — diplomatic levers, economic levers and so on," Greste said.

"It needs to think seriously about using those levers."

Sorry, this video has expired 'Who am I spying for?' James Ricketson yells while being driven from court (Photo: AP/Heng Sinith)

Ricketson was arrested in June last year, a day after he was reprimanded by authorities for flying a photographic drone without permission over a political rally.

Government-affiliated media quickly labelled him an "important spy".

Of the little evidence produced during the trial, prosecutors pointed to Ricketson's photos of police, emails to Cambodian opposition officials and a letter to then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull urging him to rescind an invitation for Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to visit Australia in 2016, as evidence of his guilt.

Ricketson has maintained his innocence and on hearing the verdict, he asked — as he has on multiple occasions — "which country am I spying for?"

Cambodian community calls for hard action on Hun Sen

Spokesman for the Cambodian Australian Federation said Australia should take diplomatic actions. ( Supplied: The Phnom Penh Post )

Swathery Ek, lawyer and spokesman for the Cambodian Action Group and the Cambodian Australian Federation, has personally written to Prime Minister Scott Morrison urging him to take action.

Mr Ek fled to Australia as a refugee from Cambodia in 1983.

"I have asked Scott Morrison to look into this and take diplomatic sanctions, because so far there is no threat [from Australia] at all." Mr Ek told RN Breakfast.

"Malcolm Turnbull allowed Hun Sen to threaten Australian protesters — and he said nothing, absolutely nothing."

Hun Sen had threatened to "beat" protesters if they burnt his image at a summit of South-East Asians leaders in Sydney last March.

When asked what the Australian Government should do to help Ricketson's appeal against the verdict, Mr Ek said the Government should not trust the Cambodian legal system, but push for a royal pardon.