A Cambodian court sentences a union leader to 18 months in prison for comments on Facebook

Morm Rithy, 35, vice president of the Cambodian Labor Confederation, received an 18-month prison sentence for remarks made during a live Facebook broadcast critiquing the arrest of a casino worker. The confederation deemed the case an attempt to intimidate labor unions.

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court found Rithy guilty of incitement to commit a felony and discrediting a judicial decision, as per Am Sam Ath, director of Licadho. This verdict adds to longstanding accusations of Cambodia's government targeting critics and opposition figures through the legal system.

The ruling comes shortly after the Supreme Court upheld a two-year prison term for Chhim Sithar, president of a labor union at NagaWorld, accused of incitement during a worker strike.

Cambodia has been criticized for human rights violations under former Prime Minister Hun Sen, leading to systematic restrictions on workers' freedom of association, according to reports from Human Rights Watch and the U.S. State Department.

Rithy's arrest followed an in-absentia sentencing due to a lawyer conflict. He condemned the arrest of a union member in Sihanoukville during his broadcast, leading to a criminal complaint from the casino owner.

The Cambodian Labor Confederation denounced Rithy's case as intimidation against workers' representatives and called for a higher court review, citing flaws in Cambodia's legal system.