On January 21, 2025, two publishers/journalists from S.A TVHD Live24h and Cambodiastardailynews.com were arrested by Phnom Penh police and charged with incitement to disrupt social security.
The arrest follows an instruction by Phnom Penh Municipal police chief Chuon Narin who accused the journalists of publishing “disinformation” related to online gambling in Phnom Penh.
A day earlier, the Phnom Penh police chief posted a screenshot of a video published by the media outlets on his Facebook, and ordered the journalists to reply to the authorities about their report.
In January, both media outlets posted a video, showing that illegal gambling was operating in central Phnom Penh. The post, titled “It’s too cruel! Victims were tortured by a group of criminals in a compound in central Phnom Penh where illegal online gambling operated”, was removed later.
The post also included pictures of the Interior Minister, Phnom Penh Governor, Phnom Penh Police Chief, Dangkor District Governor, and of a man whose hands were tied with a wire - allegedly a victim of online gambling.
Police denied the report, saying that the video of the victim happened abroad, not in Cambodia. According to the Interior Ministry, the arrest was not a restriction of press freedom.
On January 24, 2024, the journalists wrote an apology letter to Prime Minister Hun Manet, accepting their wrongdoing. However, they were sent to pre-trial detention on charges of incitement to disturb social security on the same day.