Cambodia Supreme Court upholds jail sentences for two journalists

Cambodia's Supreme Court has upheld the 14-year jail sentences for two journalists convicted of treason for allegedly revealing military secrets during the country's border clashes with Thailand. The journalists, Phorn Sopheap, 39, and Pheap Pheara, 41, who worked for TSP 68 TV Online, were arrested separately on July 31, 2025, after returning from an assignment in Oddar Meanchey province, which borders Thailand. They were accused of producing content that revealed Cambodia's military positions and strategies during the conflict. The two reporters were initially jailed by the Siem Reap Provincial Court last December after being convicted of "supplying a foreign state with information prejudicial to national defence" under Article 445 of Cambodia's Criminal Code. Their sentences were previously upheld by the Battambang Appeal Court in March. The ruling comes amid international criticism of Cambodia for arresting activists, environmental campaigners, and journalists, with press freedom ratings being downgraded due to the closure of independent media outlets.