Tuesday, 4 August 2009

Court fines Cambodian opposition member 16.5 million riel for slander+

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 4 (AP) - (Kyodo)—A Cambodian court ordered an opposition lawmaker Tuesday to pay 16,500,000 riel ($4,000) after she was convicted of defamation in a case brought against her by Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Sem Sakola, presiding judge at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, ordered Mu Sochua to pay 8,500,000 riel for defamation and 8,000,000 riel as compensation to Hun Sen as plaintiff.

The hearing against Mu Sochua was held July 24 but the verdict was not delivered until Tuesday morning.

Mu Sochua called it "unjust."

Her parliamentary immunity was lifted in late June to allow the charge to go forward in court.

She had lodged a defamation suit against Hun Sen in April, alleging he made degrading remarks about her in a speech.

Hun Sen countersued.

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court dismissed her lawsuit June 10 but continued Hun Sen's claim, a move slammed by the opposition Sam Rainsy Party as trending "toward a dictatorial regime" and "jeopardizing democracy" in Cambodia.

On Monday, the Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission issued a statement criticizing the Cambodian judicial system as unfair and politically biased.

The commission said Mu Sochua had not received a fair trial in July and the proceedings were aimed at ending her political career.

"Considering the flaw in the justice system and the scheme to end the political activities of the opposition Member of Parliament, the Asian Human Rights Commission holds that Mu Sochua is denied her rights to a fair trial by an independent, competent and impartial tribunal duly established by law," it said in a statement.

The group also said almost all the prosecutors and judges in the court were affiliated with Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party.

Khieu Kanharith, minister of information and government spokesman, called the statement "groundless."

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