Cambodia: HRD charged and convicted under defamation law by non-state actor
Event- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Dec 26, 2009
- Final Date
- Oct 25, 2011
- Event Description
Sam Chankea is a human rights defender working for the human rights NGO ADHOC. He is active in land rights issues in the Kampong Chhnang province.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Rights Concerned
- Right to property
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Event Location
Latitude: 12.25
Longitude: 104.6667
- Event Location
- Summary for Publications
On 25 January 2011, Mr Sam Chankea, Coordinator of ADHOC in Kampong Chhnang province, was convicted under article 305 of the Penal Code for defaming the work of a private company. Sam Chankea is particularly active in issues related to land rights, and gave his legal opinion during a interview for radio on the ground levelling activities of a private company in Kampong Chhnang province. He said that the company did not wait for the outcome of the Court decision on the ownership of the land and that it should suspend its activities for now. Mr. Sam Chankea was convicted to pay a fine of 1 million riel (approx. USD 244) as well as 3 million riel (approx. USD 732) in compensation to the company. If he does not pay the fine, he faces 3 months imprisonment.