Cambodian authorities have pardoned Australian filmmaker James Ricketson, who was last month sentenced to six years in prison for espionage.
Key points:
- The royal pardon was signed by Cambodia’s Senate president Say Chhum
- Ricketson’s son had said his father would seek a pardon instead of appealing his conviction
- Ricketson had been making documentaries in Cambodia for more than 20 years
Ricketson was arrested in June last year, a day after he was reprimanded for flying a drone over a political rally without permission.
He had been making documentaries in Cambodia for more than 20 years.
The royal pardon was signed by Cambodia’s Senate president Say Chhum, who is the acting head of state in the absence of King Norodom Sihamoni, who is reportedly visiting China.
Pardons are normally issued at the request of Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Earlier this month Ricketson’s son Jesse told 730 his father would seek a royal pardon instead of appealing his conviction.
His family has confirmed the news with the ABC.
In an update to the Change.org page created to pressure the Australian Government to intervene in the situation, Ricketson’s adopted daughter Roxanne Holmes thanked the petition’s more than 100,000 supporters.
“It feels like the pain of the last 14 months has hit me in one go, so many emotions but above all, I am so happy,” Ms Holmes said.
“Our deepest thanks to all those who have supported us from Australian film makers to politicians and to every single person who signed, shared, called, emailed — you made this happen.”
Ricketson, 69, was found guilty by a Cambodian court in late August, after allegations he had been using his documentary projects and humanitarian work to collect information that would jeopardise national security.
Government-friendly media outlets had named him as an “important spy” in a US-led plot to foment a “colour revolution” and overthrow Hun Sen, who has ruled Cambodia for more than 30 years.
But throughout the trial, Ricketson continuously questioned the charges against him, asking who he was meant to be spying for.
The accusations against Ricketson came amid a spate of politically-charged moves by Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party, which was facing perhaps the greatest threat ever to its three-decade rule.
Following the sentencing in August, Ricketson’s family and members of the Australian Cambodian community called on the Australian Government to put pressure on Cambodia to release Ricketson.
The family were concerned about the state of Ricketson’s health in the Prey Sar prison, which he had already spent 14 months in.
