[Update] Journalist Ung Thap Reang Receives Six-Month Suspended Prison Sentence

On 16 July 2026, the Banteay Meanchey Provincial Court announced the conviction of Ung Thap Reang, editor-in-chief of the Khmer Cheayden news outlet, and issued him a suspended six-month prison sentence. The journalist was convicted on charges of defamation and incitement under Articles 305, 494 and 495 of the Criminal Code.

Reang was sued by the chief of Poipet city police in May 2025, after he published an article about an alleged irregularity in a report made by the police chief in a violence case.

On June 9, 2025, Thab Reang was detained overnight for questioning by provincial police and court officials. He was later released after the court found no sufficient grounds for prosecution against the journalist.

However, on October 22, 2025, he was questioned again by the Banteay Meanchey Provincial Court and placed under judicial supervision subject to strict conditions under Article 223 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

On 29 May 2026 , the court held a hearing in Thap Reang’s case and announced the verdict on 16 July 2026.

In January 2024, Thap Reang was convicted on the same charges in a separate case, and sentenced by the Banteay Meanchey Provincial Court to a six-month suspended prison sentence and to pay a 2 million riel fine (around US $500). The Supreme Court upheld that conviction in January 2025, but dropped the 2 million riel fine. The sentence came after Thap Reang was sued by the heads of the Poipet Referral Hospital and the provincial tax department in response to an article on Khmer Cheayden’s Facebook page reporting on an accusation of corruption.

On 3 August, 2026, Ung Thap Reang told CamboJA that he did not attend the hearing. He was informed of the court's decision by LICADHO, which represented him in the case. He believes that this decision is not surprising, as courts seldom rule against the authorities, and journalists are often treated with disrespect and looked down upon.