"Gov’t says journalist groups “interfering” in Cambodia Daily incitement case", 26 February 2021

Government officials said civil society calls for dropping charges against two former Cambodia Daily reporters in … incitement case was tantamount to interfering with court procedures.

The Cambodian Center for Independent Media, Overseas Press Club of Cambodia and the Cambodian Journalists Alliance released a statement … calling for the dropping of incitement charges against former Cambodia Daily reporters Aun Pheap and Zsombor Peter.

The call came after the Ratanakkiri prosecutor’s office filed an appeal against provincial judge Kong Tang Meng’s decision to drop incitement charges against the two reporters. A local commune chief had filed the complaint … after he did not like their line of questioning for an election story.

“The case has gone on too long, upended two journalists’ careers and lives, and proven to be without merit and a shred of proof of wrongdoing since a complaint was filed against them more than three years ago,” read the … statement.

… Justice Ministry Secretary of State Kim Santepheap reacted to the three groups’ call to drop the charges by calling it an attempt to “interfere in the affairs of the court.”…

Ith Sothoeuth, media director at the Cambodian Center for Independent Media, said the statement calls for the court to accelerate the proceedings, which had already languished in limbo for three years...

“I think it is a political game,” Pheap said from Virginia, U.S. “I can see that the prosecutor has appealed because they don’t want me to return to Cambodia because they are afraid of me writing the truth.”…