Hem Vanna was summoned on February 3, 2026, by military police in the western border town of Poipet and transferred to a military police station in Banteay Meanchey province, where he was arrested, according to the Cambodian Journalists Alliance Association and statements from local rights groups.
Vanna, a journalist with the local independent HVNN TV Online, was charged under Articles 301 and 495 of the penal code, which criminalize intercepting or recording private conversations and incitement, respectively, the sources said.
If convicted on both charges, he faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison. He is being held at Banteay Meanchey Provincial Prison, according to a local Kiripost report.
Vanna was arrested after publishing a video report on January 30 about the alleged physical assault of Chinese nationals at a suspected scam compound in Poipet, located approximately 100 meters behind the local military police station, the sources said.
Journalists who have reported on Cambodia’s politically sensitive criminal cyberscam centers — where workers are often trafficked, held by force, and forced to defraud their online victims — have faced threats and reprisals.
The Ministry of Information did not immediately reply to CPJ’s emailed request for comment.