The Court of Appeal yesterday upheld a defamation conviction and corresponding three-year sentence for a newspaper publisher and his business partner.

Last February, Hang Chamreun, who publishes the Ponleu Samaki newspaper and runs a construction business, was charged with defamation, while his business partner, Phai Bunthoeun, was convicted of assisting defamation.

“I cannot be quiet since this decision is absolutely unfair to us and I have launched an appeal to the Supreme Court already,” Chamreun said.

Charges against Chamreun and Samaki came after Chamreun filed a series of complaints against the ACU, the Supreme Court, the Phnom Penh Court and a government lawyer.