Defamation

Opposition lawmaker Mu Sochua has filed an appeal to the Supreme Court against her conviction for defaming Prime Minister Hun Sen, she said on Tuesday. The outspoken Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarian said she would rather serve a jail sentence than pay the 16.5 million riels (US$3,693) in fines and compensation ordered in the original ruling, which was handed down by the Municipal Court in August and upheld by the Court of Appeal last month. “If I still lose, I will not pay,” she said. “I have already prepared myself to be imprisoned if I lose this case.” Hun Sen’s lawyer Ky Tech cautioned her to respect the court’s verdict. “If we do not follow the court, the court will take action,” Ky Tech said. The prime minister sued Mu Sochua for defamation in April after she filed her own complaint accusing him of making 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.