A government critic and agricultural expert who was beaten up on the streets of Phnom Penh last year was convicted of defamation on Thursday for comments posted online about the government.
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court sentenced Ny Nak to two years in prison and fined him 200 million riel (US$50,000). He was arrested on Jan. 5 on charges of incitement and defamation.
Minister of Labor Heng Sour filed a complaint against Ny Nak the week before the arrest after he posted a Facebook comment that mocked a Ministry of Commerce statement that said the government was aiming to register 10,000 new companies in the new year.
Dressed in an orange jumpsuit, Ny Nak expressed his displeasure after the verdict was announced and asked his lawyer to meet with him at Tbong Khmum Provincial Correctional Center to discuss filing an appeal.
The lawyer, Chuong Chou Ngy, told reporters in front of the court that his client was only exercising his right to freedom of expression in expressing his concern about national issues.
Ny Nak’s wife, Sok Synet, told reporters that the court’s sentence was excessive and inappropriate. She added that Ny Nak is suffering from hepatitis B and has lost an excessive amount of weight due to malnutrition and sleeplessness.
“It is unfair and the Court of Appeal should release my husband and drop all charges against him without paying any party,” she said. “The accusation is because he expressed his opinion on social media – and this is his personal opinion, his perception as a citizen.
“He has no evil intention to overthrow the government or incite anyone to incite or hate someone,” she said.
Minister’s complaint
Ny Nak was previously convicted and sentenced to 18 months in prison after he criticized Cambodia’s COVID-19 policy as being too restrictive. He later apologized to then-Prime Minister Hun Sen.
After his release in early 2023, Ny Nak began posting comments critical of the government on Facebook under the pseudonym IMAN-KH.
In September 2023, he criticized Agriculture Minister Dith Tina over his handling of a report on rice prices.
Hours later, he was beaten unconscious by several helmet-wearing, baton-wielding motorbike drivers.
He was hospitalized for a week. No one was ever arrested in the attack.
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Ny Nak also posted critical comments about a government decision to cede about 100 hectares of land to a man named Heng Sour. His comment didn’t mention the man’s title, and it was unclear if he was referring to the minister of labor.
Heng Sour and Prime Minister Hun Manet have denied that the government has given land to the minister.
Sok Synet told Radio Free Asia earlier this year that Heng Sour may have filed the January criminal complaint over the Ministry of Commerce comment in retaliation for the previous land comment.
RFA was unable to reach Phnom Penh Municipal Court spokesman Y Rin for comment on Thursday.
Translated by Yun Samean. Edited Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster.