Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Cambodian authorities should drop charges against two former RFA journalists, saying their arrest two years ago Thursday was part of a campaign to intimidate journalists.
Uon Chhin and Yeang Sothearin were taken into custody on November 14, 2017 and charged with “illegally collecting information for a foreign source” under Article 445 of the Criminal Code, an offense punishable by a prison term of from seven to 15 years. Additional charges were added in March 2018, alleging that the two men had illegally produced pornography.
A judge in Phnom Penh ruled last month that there was insufficient evidence against the two men but sent the case for re-investigation instead of dismissing it.