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Cambodian opposition leader faces new defamation lawsuit over Facebook posting

Xinhua, December 2, 2015 Adjust font size:

Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy is facing another defamation lawsuit brought by Parliament President Heng Samrin, according to a summons on Wednesday.

Sam Rainsy is currently in self-imposed exile to avoid a two-year prison sentence over an old defamation conviction.

The summons, issued by Vong Bunvisoth, deputy prosecutor of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Tuesday and publicized on Wednesday, invited Rainsy, president of the Cambodia National Rescue Party, to appear before the court on Jan. 4, 2016.

The summons said that Rainsy was sued by Heng Samrin who claims the opposition leader defamed him in a Facebook posting on Nov. 17.

It does not say what the defamation is about as Rainsy withdrew all statements he posted on his official Facebook page on Nov. 17.

Rainsy, who also holds French citizenship, has been in self-imposed exile since last month after the court issued an arrest warrant for him over a 2011 defamation conviction. At that time, the court sentenced him to two years in prison over defaming Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, but he has not served his jail term yet.

On Nov. 20, the court also issued a summon for him to appear in court on Dec. 4, 2015 for an inquiry over his alleged involvement in "conspiring to falsify a public document, use the fake document and incite social chaos" in August. Enditem