Roger Graham, the American creator of a Web site promoting Cambodia as a euthanasia destination, was questioned at Kampot provincial court on Thursday over a defamation lawsuit filed against him by Provincial Governor Puth Chandarith.
Graham was not represented by a lawyer and no charges were brought against him over the complaint, which accuses him of defaming the province through the Web site, Chief Provincial Prosecutor Uk Kimsith said.
Graham wrote in an e-mail that the questioning lasted about 30 minutes and that he signed a statement. “I denied any responsibility for the death of the British lady who came to Kampot and killed herself and…I denied that any statements on my Web site were false or damaging to the reputation of Kampot or Cambodia,” he said.
Uk Kimsith said he is still considering the case, and that he needs more time and evidence before deciding whether to press charges.
Graham’s Web site www.euthanasiaincambodia.com remains up and running, albeit with some modifications, including a photo of Graham on a water slide beneath the caption: “Do I look like I’m suffering?”
“When did progressives become reactionary? We are in favor of stopping logging. Stopping Wal-Mart. Stopping Globalization. Stopping whaling. Stopping crime. What are we for? I’m for euthanasia,” the Web site added.
