Ly Menghour
The Mekong Times
The Ministry of Information, lawmakers, human rights organizations and media organizations yesterday urged the Phnom Penh Municipal Court to release the editor-in-chief of the Sam Rainsy Partyaffiliated Moneaksekar Khmer newspaper.
The request comes a day after Dam Sith was arrested and charged with defamation and disinformation related to opposition leader Sam Rainsy’s Apr 17 remarks about Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, printed Apr 18 by the Khmer-language daily.
Information Minister Khieu Kanharith asked that Dam Sith be granted bail pending legal investigations.
Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarians made a similar appeal, even promising that they would return Dam Sith to court when he is called to appear. They stressed that Dam Sith has committed no crime and should not be detained.
The Club of Cambodian Journalists (CCJ) also asked that Dam Sith be set free, saying that lawsuits should not be filed against newspapers for quoting the words of a source. The CCJ called the arrest “a big threat to press freedom,” and claimed it would “disgrace” Cambodia’s reputation.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) yesterday released an open statement condemning Dam Sith’s arrest and calling for his release. The IFJ called the charges against Dam Sith “illegal.”
“[D]emocracy will not flourish when the media system is interrupted and [when] efforts to report on politics and election campaigns are prevented,” the IFJ warned.
Dam Sith’s co-defense attorney, Kong Samonn, yesterday filed a formal request for bail. He called Dam Sith’s detention “unjust,” claiming it was made without legal grounds. “Releasing Dam Sith on bail will not affect the court’s procedures and public order, and will not cause harm to victims or witnesses,” Kong Samonn said. “[D]efamation and disinformation has not been clearly established by the court.”
Licadho, Adhoc and the Cambodian Center for Human Rights released a joint statement yesterday claiming that the arrest is “politically motivated.” They said the case showed that the government is encroaching on press freedom and freedom of expression. The statement appealed to the international community to voice their concerns over the arrest.
Phnom Penh Municipal Court officials have yet to respond and the court’s president, Chiv Keng, could not be reached yesterday.
The request comes a day after Dam Sith was arrested and charged with defamation and disinformation related to opposition leader Sam Rainsy’s Apr 17 remarks about Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, printed Apr 18 by the Khmer-language daily.
Information Minister Khieu Kanharith asked that Dam Sith be granted bail pending legal investigations.
Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarians made a similar appeal, even promising that they would return Dam Sith to court when he is called to appear. They stressed that Dam Sith has committed no crime and should not be detained.
The Club of Cambodian Journalists (CCJ) also asked that Dam Sith be set free, saying that lawsuits should not be filed against newspapers for quoting the words of a source. The CCJ called the arrest “a big threat to press freedom,” and claimed it would “disgrace” Cambodia’s reputation.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) yesterday released an open statement condemning Dam Sith’s arrest and calling for his release. The IFJ called the charges against Dam Sith “illegal.”
“[D]emocracy will not flourish when the media system is interrupted and [when] efforts to report on politics and election campaigns are prevented,” the IFJ warned.
Dam Sith’s co-defense attorney, Kong Samonn, yesterday filed a formal request for bail. He called Dam Sith’s detention “unjust,” claiming it was made without legal grounds. “Releasing Dam Sith on bail will not affect the court’s procedures and public order, and will not cause harm to victims or witnesses,” Kong Samonn said. “[D]efamation and disinformation has not been clearly established by the court.”
Licadho, Adhoc and the Cambodian Center for Human Rights released a joint statement yesterday claiming that the arrest is “politically motivated.” They said the case showed that the government is encroaching on press freedom and freedom of expression. The statement appealed to the international community to voice their concerns over the arrest.
Phnom Penh Municipal Court officials have yet to respond and the court’s president, Chiv Keng, could not be reached yesterday.
