PHNOM PENH: Fifty civil society organisations, unions and grassroots community groups have issued a joint statement calling for the immediate release of citizen journalist Chea Vuthy.
A former monk, Vuthy was sentenced to 18 months in prison for comments he made in a private Messenger group chat of about 20 people. The statement argued that the conviction raises serious concerns over freedom of expression and the proportionality of criminal penalties for private online communications.
Yesterday, August 19, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court convicted Vuthy of incitement under Articles 494 and 495 of the Criminal Code and sentenced him to 18 months in prison, along with a fine of two million riel, or about $500.
In an August 20 joint statement released by the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO), the 50 groups expressed “grave concern” over the verdict and called on authorities to release Vuthy and drop the charge against him.
The groups explained that the prosecution was based on a comment Vuthy made in a private Messenger group chat in August 2025 concerning provincial territories, in the context of the Cambodia-Thailand border situation.
His comment reportedly concerned the treatment of people displaced by the fighting.
According to the statement, Vuthy acknowledged making the comment in the private group, but denied posting it publicly. The groups said the Messenger comment was the only evidence presented in support of the charge.
“The reach and potential impact of a private message within such a small group cannot reasonably be considered sufficient to justify criminal prosecution, let alone an 18-month prison sentence,” the organisations said.
They argued that the conviction failed to satisfy the principles of necessity and proportionality governing restrictions on freedom of expression under Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Cambodia is a state party.
Under Article 19, restrictions on expression may be imposed in certain circumstances, including for the protection of national security, public order or the rights and reputations of others, but the groups said such restrictions must be provided by law, pursue a legitimate aim and be necessary and proportionate.
They said Vuthy’s conviction also raised concerns under constitutional protections for freedom of expression and Cambodia’s commitments arising from recommendations made during the country’s fourth Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council.
“We firmly believe that the conviction and sentencing of Chea Vuthy represents a serious violation of his right to freedom of expression,” the statement said.
The groups urged authorities to review the case in accordance with Cambodia’s domestic and international human rights obligations and allow Vuthy to resume his work and social activities.
Vuthy, 27, was a monk when the case against him emerged and also worked as a citizen journalist, regularly covering or commenting on environmental issues, deforestation and human rights.
LICADHO said he was arrested in April at his residence at Wat Por Veal pagoda in Battambang province by plainclothes provincial police.
He was forcibly defrocked and placed in pretrial detention. He is currently detained at Phnom Penh’s Police Judicial Prison (PJ), according to the rights groups.
LICADHO previously reported that the Phnom Penh Appeal Court rejected Vuthy’s request for bail in June.
Vuthy’s lawyer, Em Chantha, said following the August 19 verdict that he intended to appeal, arguing that the evidence against his client was insufficient.
He disputed whether comments made in a Messenger group met the legal threshold for incitement.
The case follows several other prosecutions related to comments about the Cambodia-Thailand border dispute.
LICADHO has documented other people convicted or charged with incitement following social media posts concerning the border conflict, including a chef who was sentenced to 18 months in May and a deputy school director sentenced to two years in June.
The August 20 statement was endorsed by a broad coalition of rights and media organisations, labour unions and local communities.
Signatories included LICADHO, the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR), Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC), Cambodian Center for Independent Media (CCIM), Cambodian Journalists Alliance Association (CamboJA), Overseas Press Club of Cambodia (OPCC), Center for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights (CENTRAL), Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (COMFREL), Equitable Cambodia and the Prey Lang Community Network, among others.
Ministry of Information spokesperson Tep Asnarith said the ministry, as part of the executive branch, does not interfere in judicial proceedings. He claimed that the Kingdom’s courts exercise independent authority regarding their rulings and procedures.
He noted that Vuthy has the right to legal representation and to appeal the judgment, while urging civil society organisations to assess the facts and legal basis of such cases with balance and accuracy. - Phnom Penh Post/ANN
