Cambodia: Two journalists jailed for 14 years under treason law

Journalists Pheap Phara and Phon Sopheap have appealed fourteen-year prison sentences after being convicted of treason for reporting on the Cambodia-Thailand border conflict on December 17, 2025. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the Cambodian Journalist Alliance Association (CamboJA), condemn the sentencing and call on the Cambodian authorities to cease the use of sedition legislation to intimidate and silence the media.

Journalists Pheap Phara and Phon Sopheap were senteced to 14 years in prison after reporting on the Cambodia-Thailand border conflict. Credit: Facebook

Siem Reap Provincial Court convicted both journalists of 'supplying a foreign state with information prejudicial to national defence' on September 10, 2025, under Article 445 of Cambodia's criminal code, a treason charge that carries between seven and 15 years in jail. The sentence was only revealed following the journalists' appeal on February 16. Pheap Phara, a reporter with TSP 68 TV Online, and Phon Sopheap, a journalist at local outlet Battambang Post TV Online, remain in custody in Siem Reap Prison.

The journalists were arrested on July 31, 2025 and held in pre-trial detention after posting photos on social media of themselves in a restricted conflict zone alongside Cambodian soldiers and unexploded landmines between July 25 and 31. Thai media later republished one photo, alleging that Cambodia had planted new landmines in the area.

According to a court statement, the journalists were arrested on "suspicion of gathering information" and "photographing a prohibited military zone near a battlefield," accusations the court claimed could allegedly undermine national defence.

According to CamboJA, October to December 2025 saw at least fourteen violations against journalists linked to critical reporting on issues including the Cambodia-Thailand border conflict, social accountability, mining, labour rights, and local protests. In its monitoring report released in September 2025, CamboJA said only a handful of independent journalists and outlets continue to operate under tight restrictions in the Southeast Asian nation. In August, 2025, the IFJ joined 15 other international press freedom and local civil society bodies in signing a joint statement to demand the protection of journalists reporting from the conflict zone.

CamboJA said: "Arresting journalists undermines trust and hinders the sharing of information on border issues, ultimately affecting the government's legitimacy.The role of journalists is vital, and harsh penalties or arrests could hinder social development and erode trust in the government."

The IFJ said: "The Cambodian authorities must cease the use of so-called treason legislation to undermine press freedom and silence critical reporting in the public interest. The court must allow the journalists' appeal and swiftly overturn this alarming conviction against them."