Cambodia’s new repressive lèse majesté law was used for the first time yesterday to convict a former opposition party official who was handed a one year sentence.

Ban Somphy, a 70-year-old barber and former district leader of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), was detained on 20 May 2018. He was accused of sharing a Facebook post allegedly criticising King Norodom Sihamoni which included a picture of Prime Minister Hun Sen and his wife and a video of angry villagers affected by flooding.

He was sentenced by Siem Reap provincial court under Criminal Code article 437 bis which was amended by the National Assembly in February amid strong opposition from civil society groups who warned that it would be used to silence government critics.

The law was introduced along with a series of vaguely phrased constitutional amendments targeting the opposition and civil society, including making “any activity” that directly or indirectly “affect[s] the interests” of Cambodia or its citizens” illegal.

Somphy has already spent four months in pre-trial detention. Five months of his one-year sentence was suspended, meaning he will remain in jail for a further three months.