The publisher of KH Plus News, who is also a journalist, was summoned by the Kampong Cham Provincial Court in relation to public defamation of the judicial institution after the apology he made was not accepted.
In the summons issued on November 28 and shared on December 2, prosecutor Toch Oudom ordered the publisher to appear in court on December 19, 2024.
According to the summons, the publisher allegedly insulted the judicial institution continuously, shared false information which discredited the institution, and criticized judicial decisions on land disputes.
KH Plus News allegedly made live videos of land disputes between two families in Kampong Siem district on November 20 and 21, 2024.
In the videos, the publisher allegedly used an inappropriate word, and criticized the local authority and provincial court for not addressing the dispute appropriately and fairly.
The provincial court and Ministry of Information viewed that the publisher had “seriously” violated journalism ethics, noting that the videos were not construed as a right to press freedom.
On November 21, the court issued the letter, requiring the publisher to make a correction and public apology to the court or face legal action. The publisher apologized to the local authorities and the court on the same day.
However, the court said the apology was unacceptable, saying that the publisher was still using insulting words.
On November 25, the court issued another notice to the publisher that it would be initiating a legal action against him.
In a meeting with the Ministry of Information on November 26, the publisher was asked again to make a public apology and ordered the video report to be removed within 15 days.
However, three days later on November 29, the ministry issued a final warning letter, informing him that the media license will be revoked and legal action will follow. The videos were deleted accordingly.