Head of Cambodia’s top opposition party hit with $1.5 million judgement for defaming government

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — A Cambodian court on Thursday found the president of the country’s main opposition party guilty of defamation and ordered him to pay $1.5 million in damages to the government, his lawyer and legal observers said.

Teav Vannol, president of the opposition Candlelight Party, was not present for the court’s ruling and is believed to be outside Cambodia. He holds dual Cambodian-U.S. citizenship. His lawyer, Choung Chou Ngy, said he will talk with his client about whether to file an appeal.

Thursday’s verdict was the third conviction against a top leader of the Candlelight Party in under two years.

Cambodia’s government has long been accused of using the judicial system to persecute critics and political opponents. The government insists it promotes the rule of law under an electoral democracy, but political parties seen as mounting strong challenges to the ruling Cambodian People’s Party have been dissolved by the courts or had their leaders jailed or harassed.

The case against Teav Vannol alleged he had committed defamation in comments he made charging that democracy was regressing under the government of Prime Minister Hun Manet, who came to power last year. Hun Manet is the son of and successor to Hun Sen, who was prime minister for 38 years.

Teav Vannol acknowledged that he said Hun Manet’s leadership was more “restrictive” than his father’s, and that democracy had regressed, as opposition politicians, activists and other critics were being arrested. He made his comments in an interview he did in Japan in February.

He also acknowledged claiming that a security camera had been set up on a road near his home to monitor his activities, but said his comment was misconstrued as blaming that on the