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Cambodian journalist charged with sneaking into prison defaults on court appearance

Xinhua, May 2, 2017 Adjust font size:

A U.S.-backed Radio Free Asia (RFA) journalist, who has been accused of concealing his identity during a prison visit with two opposition lawmakers last month, did not appear in court on Tuesday, a court's spokesman said.

Phnom Penh Municipal Court's spokesman Ly Sophana said the court's deputy prosecutor, Seang Sok, summoned RFA's Khmer service deputy director Huot Vuthy, better known to listeners as Chun Chanboth, to appear in court on May 2, but he did not show up on the schedule.

He added that the court's deputy prosecutor is considering the next procedure against Vuthy.

RFA said in a statement late Monday that Vuthy "will not return to Cambodia after a weekend trip (to Thailand) at the behest of RFA leadership."

Vuthy fled to Thailand on April 28 before traveling to the United States on April 30.

He was accused of providing "false declaration" to the Prey Sar prison guards on April 19 in order to get into the prison with two opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) lawmakers to meet with 16 imprisoned CNRP officials and activists.

A photo posted to the country's leading news website, Fresh News, showed Vuthy wearing a cap and sunglasses and standing behind the lawmakers, and another photo showed the prison's sign-in book in which Vuthy wrote a wrong name alongside the title "assistant."

Under the charge of "false declaration," Vuthy could face up to two years in prison if he is convicted. Endit