Justice Delayed for Journalists in Cambodia Time for Action

November 10, 2025 – Cambodia – 

In Cambodia, the culture of impunity for crimes against journalists has reached alarming levels. A joint statement published on 1 November 2025 by multiple civil-society organisations calls on the Royal Government of Cambodia to urgently address the absence of meaningful investigations and prosecutions for attacks on media professionals.

According to monitoring by the Cambodian Journalists Alliance Association, between January and September 2025 alone there were 47 documented human-rights violations against journalists and media outlets, of which 37 involved legal harassment—such as interrogations, arrests and pre-trial detention. Five outlets had their licences revoked, and five physical assaults on journalists were recorded. State actors were reportedly responsible for 41 of the 47 incidents.

Since 1994, at least 15 journalists have been killed in Cambodia, according to the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR). Twelve of those killed were working on sensitive topics such as environmental exploitation or political corruption. In virtually all of those cases, no one has been held accountable.

The joint statement underscores that when journalists are targeted and the state fails to act, the message sent is that attacks on the press are without consequence. This failure erodes public trust in institutions, undermines freedom of expression and hampers the ability of journalists to hold power to account. Cambodia currently ranks 161 out of 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index 2025 under the category of “very serious” press-freedom conditions.

The civil society groups demand that the government launch independent, transparent investigations into all crimes against media workers and human rights defenders. These must comply with international standards, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity. Without decisive reform, Cambodia’s press environment is likely to worsen.

The time for tolerance of impunity is over. The statement affirms that “Attacks on journalists and media workers are an attack on all of us.” It calls on the Cambodian authorities to condemn and end the impunity enjoyed by those who perpetrate violence and harassment against journalists.

Reference – 

https://ifex.org/enough-is-enough-end-impunity-for-crimes-against-journalists-in-cambodia/