Cambodian politician fined $1.5 million for defamation after democracy criticism

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PHNOM PENH (Reuters) -A Cambodian court has found opposition politician Teav Vannol guilty of defamation and fined him $1.5 million in damages for comments he made to a foreign media outlet about the state of the country's democracy, rights monitors said.

In an interview with the Nikkei this February, Vannol, the president of the Candlelight Party, said democracy in the Southeast Asian nation had worsened under the administration of Hun Manet. He is the son of the country's long-time leader Hun Sen and assumed power last year.

The Candlelight Party was barred from participating in last year's general election that saw a landslide win for Hun's ruling Cambodian People's Party.

The court in Phnom Penh on Thursday found Vannol guilty of violating article 305 on defamation and ordered him to pay 6 billion riel (about $1.5 million) in damages, rights group LICADHO, and an independent rights monitor, told Reuters. Both had representatives in the court.

A spokesperson for the court and government could not immediately be reached. Vannol is currently out of the country, and his lawyer did not answer calls from Reuters.

Successive Cambodian governments have repeatedly denied cracking down on opponents and say politicians and activists are only prosecuted if they have committed offences.

Concerns about political freedom in Cambodia have continued to deepen. Analysts say Hun Sen's rule was marked by the suppression of the opposition, shuttering of independent media and the jailing of activists.

"As an opposition party president, Vannol gave comments critical of his political rival to journalists – how can that possibly be a crime?" said LICADHO's Naly Pilorge.

"Any hope for democracy and political freedom relies on the ability of all citizens to freely voice their concerns and criticisms of the country's political leaders."

Kim Pisith, a human rights monitor present in court, said the ruling sent a chilling message that anyone who criticised the government may face court, jail time and massive fines.

The ruling comes just weeks after a Cambodian court sentenced a group of environmental activists to up to eight years in jail for plotting against the government and insulting the king.

(Reporting by Kate Lamb; Editing by Neil Fullick)