Ny Chakrya outside Phnom Penh Municipal Court.

Ny Chakrya, a former human rights worker, was tried by the Supreme Court this morning on charges of defamation, malicious denunciation and for comments intended to unlawfully coerce judicial authorities.

The former Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) staffer and current Deputy Secretary-General of the National Election Committee was convicted by Phnom Penh Municipal Court on 22 September 2016, under Articles 305, 311 and 522 of the Cambodian Criminal Code following a complaint by an investigating judge and a deputy prosecutor at Siem Reap Provincial Court.

The complaint referred to alleged comments he made at a two ADHOC press conferences in May 2015 calling for an investigation into legal irregularities around the handling of a land dispute and for the release of two jailed victims of land rights violations.

The civil parties and their lawyers were not present at the Supreme Court trial, denying the defendant the right to confront his accusers directly, as was the case at the municipal court. Ny Chakrya’s right to prepare and conduct his defence for the initial court hearing and at the appeal court was also undermined as he was held in pre-trial detention at the time on charges of acting as an accomplice to bribery in a separate politically motivated case.

The verdict will be announced on 1 October 2018 at 8 am.