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Pich Piseth, leader of the Coalition-AI union at a garment factory in Preah Sihanouk province, was sentenced to two years in prison for incitement to commit a felony, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court said on Wednesday.
The court also fined Piseth nearly $1,000. He has been in pre-trial detention since September after commenting on a Facebook post by another trade union president, Sok Kin, criticizing him for what he described as failing to stand up for workers. His jailing drew condemnation from labor activists who called the case unjust and unprecedented.
The court dropped a separate public insult charge after Kin, who heads the Building and Wood Workers Trade Union Federation of Cambodia (BWTUC), withdrew a civil complaint in October.
Kin had previously sued Piseth for defamation and sought 80 million riel (about $20,000) in compensation.
Piseth is among 97 Prisoners of Interest listed by local rights group Licadho, which says they are detained over their activism or expression.
Rights groups have long criticized Cambodian courts for using incitement charges to silence activists, journalists and dissent, calling the practice politically motivated and excessive.
Ek Sopheakdey, interim president of Coalition-AI, said the conviction could further restrict freedom of expression.
“It is unfair because there was no clear evidence, as Piseth did not directly insult or discriminate against any individual,” he said, adding the ruling could discourage other unionists from defending workers’ rights.
He said that although the court dropped the public insult charge after Kin withdrew his complaint, the remaining charge stemmed from the same lawsuit.
Kin told CamboJA News he initially filed the complaint because he felt insulted, but later withdrew it after concluding there was “no damage” to his reputation.
He said he withdrew the complaint because both he and Piseth “are union leaders working in the same field to protect workers’ rights” and he did “not have enough time to pursue this matter through the court process.”
“It is beyond my responsibility now,” he said. “I have withdrawn the complaint, and the court has followed its procedures. That is their right.”
Piseth’s wife, Keo Phea, said they plan to file an appeal against the court’s decision, arguing that he was only exercising his right to freedom of expression.
“He admitted to posting the comment on Facebook, but he did not intend to defame anyone. He was simply exercising his right to express his opinion,” she said.
She called on the court to acquit and release him, noting that he is the family’s sole breadwinner supporting five children.
Spokesperson for the Phnom Penh Municipal Court Y Rin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Am Sam Ath, operations director of Licadho, said the unionist’s arrest, charges, detention and conviction showed restrictions on trade union freedoms guaranteed by the constitution and international conventions.
“This verdict may draw criticism for harassment and intimidation against union leaders, particularly those from independent unions,” he said.
