19-Year-Old Tuk Tuk Driver Sentenced to 4 Years over Facebook Posts
Published on 21 July 2026
On 15 July 2026, the Phnom Penh Capital Court convicted 19-year-old social media user and tuk tuk driver Chhoeurng Sovan to four years imprisonment and imposed a fine of 4 million riel (about US $1,000) for demoralization of the army and incitement to disturb social security under Articles 472, 494, and 495 of the Criminal Code.
Sovan was arrested while driving his tuk tuk near Sihanoukville’s Independence Monument on 30 December 2025. He was sent for questioning by the Preah Sihanouk Provincial Police Commissariat before being transferred to the Phnom Penh Police Commissariat and the Phnom Penh Capital Court the following day.
Sovan was arrested following his Facebook posts in which he criticized the Cambodia-Thailand border conflict, various government leaders, and other issues. He was sent to pre-trial detention in Phnom Penh’s Police Judiciare (PJ) prison on 2 January 2026 and remains imprisoned. Sovan is the youngest of the 125 Prisoners of Interest documented by LICADHO.
