Cambodia Supreme Court upholds jail sentences for two journalists accused of revealing military secrets
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- Phorn Sopheap and Pheap Pheara, reporters for local outlet TSP 68 TV Online, had their 14-year sentences upheld by Cambodia's Supreme Court on June 25 for allegedly revealing military positions during border clashes with Thailand.
- The two were arrested separately on July 31, 2025 after returning from an assignment in Oddar Meanchey province, which borders Thailand and was the site of some of the fighting.
- Siem Reap Provincial Court originally convicted them in December under Article 445 of Cambodia's Criminal Code — "supplying a foreign state with information prejudicial to national defence."
- The Battambang Appeal Court upheld the sentences in March; Thursday's Supreme Court ruling is final and can only be overturned by the king.
- Freedom House downgraded Cambodia's press freedom rating this year, citing that "virtually all independent media outlets in the country have closed."
Why it matters: Two journalists now face 14-year prison terms with only a royal pardon as a way out, while Freedom House says virtually all of Cambodia's independent media have shut down. The ruling locks in jail time for reporting on the border conflict with Thailand and eliminates any remaining judicial avenue for relief, deepening Cambodia's press freedom collapse.
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