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An online journalist was sentenced to two years’ jail after broadcasting information that apparently jeopardized the Cambodian army during the Cambodia-Thailand border dispute. Press groups decried the conviction as undermining free press in the country.
On Tuesday, the Oddar Meanchey Provincial Court ruled that Lout Sophal was guilty of demoralizing the army and incitement to commit a felony, his lawyer Em Chantha confirmed.
“I can’t accept this decision because what he did was not intentional. He was trying to inform the government,” Chantha said, adding that he would discuss with his client whether to appeal the conviction.
Sophal was arrested in February this year, after his February 7 report on frontline troops facing water shortages.
Sophal’s wife Voeun Lalang expressed disappointment at the court’s ruling to imprison her husband.
“It is unfair because he was contributing information to the nation. Instead, he has been sent to jail,” she said. “He reported the facts. He did not commit any incitement.”
She urged the court to release her husband immediately, lamenting that she would now have to solely bear the burden of supporting their three children, aged between three and 17.
“Most of our income comes from him, but now I would have to pay more than $500 a month in bank debt,” Lalang said.
Press associations called on the government to protect journalists amid the Cambodia-Thailand border dispute, saying that the criminal charges against journalists undermine press freedom.
“The two-year jail sentence against Sophal impacts freedom of expression, especially journalists who dare to report on sensitive issues,” said Chhan Sokunthea, executive director of Cambodian Center for Independent Media.
She urged the relevant authorities, particularly the National Defense Ministry, to investigate whether Sophal’s report about water shortages was accurate before bringing charges against him.
Nop Vy, executive director of Cambodian Journalists Alliance Association (CamboJA), echoed Sokunthea, noting that the legal actions are “more risky” for journalists than reporting on the border conflict.
“There is not much clarity. They should clearly define the law regarding the boundary [conflict], demoralization of the army and incitement to commit a felony,” he said.
Otherwise, the media need not play their part informing local and international communities about impacts of the war, Vy said.
“I call for the application of international laws and fundamental freedoms for public interest [stories] rather than widely interpreting the law where freedom is limited,” he said
Since the beginning of the Cambodia-Thailand border conflict, three journalists, and a social influencer, Thy Sovantha, have been convicted of treason-related and army demoralizing charges.
More than 30 opposition figures, activists and journalists have been arrested between July 2025 and February 2026 for their social media posts about Cambodia’s border clashes with Thailand.
Cambodia ranked 161 out of 181 countries in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index and remains among the world’s lowest-performing countries in terms of rule of law. The government has been alleged of repeatedly dismissing critical reports by international rights groups as being biased.
Hel Chhenghong, spokesperson of the Oddar Meanchey court, declined to comment. The same with Information Ministry spokesperson Tep Asnarith who said he had not seen the verdict yet.
