Woman hunted for throwing shoe at a poster (UPDATED 2021)

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Re: Woman hunted for throwing shoe at a poster.

Post by CEOCambodiaNews »

OHCHR recommends Cambodia decriminalise defamation
26 March 2018
The UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Cambodia has recommended that the government decriminalise defamation in the wake of a woman being handed a two-year prison sentence for throwing her shoe at a CPP billboard.

The recommendation was made after the Kampong Speu Provincial Court on Thursday confirmed the conviction of Sam Sokha, who on January 25 was convicted in absentia and sentenced to two years in prison by Judge Ouk Retkhunthea.

She was also fined about $1,250 for insulting a public official and for incitement to discriminate.

Ms Sokha threw her shoe at the CPP billboard in April 2017 and was extradited from Thailand last month.

Sorn Virak, spokesman for the provincial court, declined to comment yesterday, but Sam Sak, chief of the penal police bureau, confirmed that the court decided to uphold her conviction and that she is now being detained in prison.

In a Facebook post on Friday, OHCHR Cambodia said it regretted the fact that Thailand had deported Ms Sokha given the concerns for her rights.

“The UN human rights system places particularly high value on uninhibited expression concerning public figures in the public domain and also public institutions, and recommends that Cambodia ‘consider decriminalizing defamation and bring other provisions of the Criminal Code into line with article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (freedom of expression),’” it said in the post.
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50116033/oh ... efamation/
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Re: Woman hunted for throwing shoe at a poster.

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UPDATE

Freedom Urged For Cambodian Woman Who Threw Shoe at HE Poster
Sam Sokha, a former factory worker with two teenage sons, has already served three years and seven months of her four-year prison term, her sister says.
2021-08-24
Image
Sam Sokha is shown throwing a shoe at a poster carrying a photo of Cambodian Prime Minister HE, April 1, 2017.

A Cambodian woman jailed for four years for throwing her shoe at a poster of Prime Minister HE has already served almost all of her sentence and should be released on humanitarian grounds in the face of coronavirus risks in prison, the woman’s younger sister said on Tuesday.

The prison term imposed on Sam Sokha, 38 at the time of her arrest and controversial extradition from Thailand in April 2017, for her act criticizing the country’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) was too harsh, her sister Sam Rachana told RFA’s Khmer Service.

“Our entire family feels that this was very unjust,” Sam Rachana said, noting that Sam Sokha has already served three years and seven months of her prison term.

“She committed a minor offense, but they have held her now for almost four years, separating her from her family and from her mother and sisters,” she said. “She had not committed any crimes previously, and yet this one mistake has caused her to spend almost four years in jail.”
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambod ... 82758.html
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Re: Woman hunted for throwing shoe at a poster (UPDATED 2021)

Post by CEOCambodiaNews »

Reminder: Earlier posts from Cambodian English language news sources in this thread say that the shoe-throwing woman was sentenced to 2 years prison, and here (below), it says that the maximum sentence for the charges against her is 3 years and 6 days.
It now appears that the woman was actually sentenced to 4 years prison and has now been incarcerated for 3 years and 7 months.
CEOCambodiaNews wrote: Wed Jun 28, 2017 11:33 pm Shoe thrower charged, faces jail time in Kampong Speu
28 June 2017
The Kampong Speu Provincial Court has issued an arrest warrant for a former garment worker who threw her sandal at a billboard featuring the face of Prime Minister HE.
The document, signed by Kampong Speu Investigating Judge Sueng Vuthy yesterday, accuses Sam Sokha of insulting a public official under Article 502 of the Criminal Code, and incitement to discriminate under articles 494 and 496.
The charges carry a potential maximum jail sentence of three years and six days.
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/s ... mpong-speu
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Re: Woman hunted for throwing shoe at a poster (UPDATED 2021)

Post by SternAAlbifrons »

So i guess i should forget about trying to slip in a paint-ball gun.
Spoiler:
or at least shut up about it :mrgreen:
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Re: Woman hunted for throwing shoe at a poster (UPDATED 2021)

Post by Bitte_Kein_Lexus »

What exactly were the charges? Defamation? Destruction of public property? Truly outrageous, but unsurprising given the political climate here.
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Re: Woman hunted for throwing shoe at a poster (UPDATED 2021)

Post by SternAAlbifrons »

What do you call Lèse-majesté when it is a commoner you are lèse'ing?
but yeah, that.
Or is it blasphemy? Uttering God's name in vain
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Re: Woman hunted for throwing shoe at a poster.

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Bitte_Kein_Lexus wrote: Wed Aug 25, 2021 5:13 pm What exactly were the charges? Defamation? Destruction of public property? Truly outrageous, but unsurprising given the political climate here.
CEOCambodiaNews wrote: Sat Feb 10, 2018 2:37 am Kampong Speu Presiding Judge Ouk Retkunthea, in a document dated January 25 that was published late yesterday by government mouthpiece Fresh News, said Sokha was convicted in absentia and sentenced to two years in prison and fined 5 million riel, about $1,250, for insulting a public official and for incitement to discriminate.
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/e ... n-sentence
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Re: Woman hunted for throwing shoe at a poster (UPDATED 2021)

Post by Bitte_Kein_Lexus »

Why is insulting a public official worse than insulating a regular person?
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Re: Woman hunted for throwing shoe at a poster (UPDATED 2021)

Post by Freightdog »

Bitte_Kein_Lexus wrote: Wed Aug 25, 2021 6:56 pm Why is insulting a public official worse than insulating a regular person?
The regular person doesn’t generally employ people who get drunk and shoot at each other randomly while in uniform?
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Re: Woman hunted for throwing shoe at a poster (UPDATED 2021)

Post by mouytiet »

Hmmm and you think of a certain guy with 50ks of clsss A.
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