The Committee to Protect Journalists joined CamboJA and other partner organizations in a joint advocacy statement on May 22 urging Cambodia to free Ouk Mao, also known as Uk Mao, an environmental reporter with the local Intriplus News website.
Plainclothes officers arrested Mao without a warrant on May 16. He is being held in pre-trial detention on criminal incitement and defamation charges over his reporting on environmental issues, including illegal logging and deforestation.
The joint statement calls on Cambodian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Mao, drop all charges against him, cease the judicial harassment and intimidation of journalists, and guarantee the rights to freedom of expression and press freedom.
Read the full statement here.
This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.