A Cambodian court has found a major opposition party leader guilty of defamation and ordered him to pay massive damages to the government.
Local media say the court in the capital of Phnom Penh handed down the ruling Thursday to Teav Vannol. It fined him about 2,500 dollars for comments he made during a visit to Japan in February and told him to pay compensation of 1.5 million dollars.
In an interview with a Japanese media outlet, the Candlelight Party president said his country was “getting worse in terms of democracy” after incumbent Hun Manet took power last year. He also said “there is no democracy in Cambodia.”
He admits making the comments, but says they weren’t criminal. He’s expected to appeal the ruling.
The government has long been cracking down on opposition forces, such as by arresting the leader of what was once the largest opposition party on suspicion of treason. Western countries have voiced concerns over the repression.