Court date

The Ratanakkiri provincial court will hold hearings on the case of slain journalist Hang Serei Oudom on March 4, Oudom’s widow and a rights group co-ordinator said yesterday.

Im Chanthy, widow of the former stringer for local newspaper Vorakchun Khmer, said the court had summonsed her and her mother-in-law to appear on March 4 as plaintiffs.

“We have been waiting for months, and now I believe the court will find justice for my family,” she said.

Oudom was found dead, with several blows to the head, in the trunk of his car on a cashew plantation in September.

He had written several articles linking illegal logging to government officials.

The court has charged military police official An Bunheng and his wife, Sim Vy, with the murder and detained them.

Chhay Thy, provincial co-ordin-ator for rights group Adhoc, said an Adhoc lawyer supporting the plaintiffs was one of almost 20 people, including witnesses and the accused couple, to receive summonses from the court yesterday.