Kandal provincial court has charged online news GG TV Net publisher cum journalist with incitement to commit felony under Article 494 and 495 of the Criminal Code, and Article 10 of the Press Law, the assistant of the lawyer representing the journalist told CamboJA on July 17.
Under Article 494 and 495, the journalist faces six months to two years jail and a fine of one million riel to four million riel.
Article 10 stipulates that any false allegation or imputation published by the journalist, or reproduced with malicious intent against any public figure is construed as libel and is prohibited. Therefore, the journalist will be ordered to retract and publish a retraction or pay compensation.
The journalist, who is a member of Neutral Press Association, was arrested on July 6, 2024, after publishing an article criticizing the local authority for not cracking down on online cockfighting and lotteries which were operating in a coffee shop.
In the article, published with pictures of the provincial police and newly-appointed provincial governor Kouch Chamroeun, the writer said local authorities ignored illegal gambling activities, allowing it to operate freely.
Provincial police spokesman Lak Mengthy told CamboJA on July 9 that the journalist was sent to pre-trial detention on July 8.
The Neutral Press Association issued a statement on July 8, expressing concerns about the arrest as the law that was used to charge the journalist did not follow the press law.
The association urged the relevant ministries and institutions, especially the Ministry of Information to intervene and review the case. They said the Criminal Code should not be used to punish the journalist.
A post by Kandal Police Commissariat on its Facebook page on July 6, 2024, denied the report published in the media outlet, calling it fake news. It said the police did not find any evidence of illegal gambling operating in the coffee shop and that the pictures which were used in the article were outdated.