A court in Cambodia on Thursday sentenced activist Ny Nak to two years in prison for incitement and defamation, authorities and his lawyer said, the latest jailing of a dissident critical of the government.

At least two dozen government critics, from environmental and labour activists to opposition politicians and journalists, were arrested in Cambodia in the first seven months of this year, a sharp increase on 2023, according to human rights monitor Licadho.

Ny Nak was found guilty of criminal defamation and incitement to discriminate against the country's labour minister over a 2023 Facebook post in which he alleged the minister had unfairly been given forest land by the government.

The minister and government have both denied this.

Ny Nak's lawyer, Chuong Chou Ngy, said his client would appeal the decision.

"It's his expression of opinion, so the court conviction is not fair," he said.

Ny Nak was jailed for 18 months in December 2020 on similar charges for a satirical video he posted on social media parodying a speech by former premier Hun Sen, whose son Hun Manet is now prime minister.

Cambodia's government has been condemned by international human rights groups and the United States for imprisoning its detractors.

It typically says it does not target its critics, only those who break the law.

Asked about Ny Nak's conviction, government spokesman Pen Bonna said: "Expression of opinions are freedoms guaranteed by the constitution, but defamation and twisting the truth is illegal."

  - Reuters