Cambodian court charges Australian filmmaker with spying

Xinhua | 9 June 2017

PHNOM PENH, June 9 (Xinhua) -- A Cambodian court on Friday charged Australian filmmaker James Ricketson, who was arrested in Phnom Penh on June 3, with espionage which could face up to 10 years in prison, a court spokesman said.

"After launching an investigation, Prosecutor Seang Sok charged James Ricketson of collecting information which may undermine national defense under the article 446 of the Criminal Code and sent him to the Investigating Judge for next legal procedure," Phnom Penh Municipal Court's spokesman Ly Sophana told reporters.

According to the article 446, the act of receiving or collecting with a view to delivering power to a foreign state or its agents the information, processes, objects, documents, data, information technologies or memorandum slip which may undermine national defense is punishable by an imprisonment from five years to 10 years.

The Australian filmmaker was arrested on Saturday in Phnom Penh by local authorities when he was flying a camera-toting drone without authorization at the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party rally near the Royal Palace.

At the time of arrest, the authorities accused him of collecting information to relay abroad without permission.