Defamation

OPPOSITION lawmaker Mu Sochua will today file an appeal to the Supreme Court against her conviction for defaming Prime Minister Hun Sen, a court official said Thursday. The outspoken Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarian vowed to take her case to the higher court earlier this week after her conviction was upheld by the Court of Appeal, a move she described as “politically motivated”. The original ruling, handed down by the Municipal Court in August, found Mu Sochua guilty of defaming the premier and ordered her to pay a total of 16.5 million riels (US$3,963) in fines and compensation. Despite the Appeal Court’s decision, Mu Sochua remained defiant on Wednesday. Speaking outside the Court of Appeal, she again said she had no intention of paying the fine. The prime minister sued Mu Sochua for defamation in April after she filed her own complaint that he had made derogatory remarks about her during a press conference. Her lawsuit, however, was dismissed by the Appeal Court on October 14, whereas Prime Minister Hun Sen’s proceeded.