Australian filmmaker gets 6 years in a Cambodian prison for ‘espionage’
PHOTO: cambodiadaily.com
69 year old Australian filmmaker James Ricketson has been sentenced to six years in prison by the Phnom Penh municipal court in Cambodia. The Court found James guilty of ‘espionage’ for flying a drone over an opposition party’s political rally, this according to Reuters.
Thai PBS reports that the Australian was arrested last June after he was photographed flying his drone above the rally organised by the now-defunct Cambodia National Rescue Party. He was charged with espionage at the time although it remains unclear for whom he was spying. His familydescribes the court sentence as an “absolute tragedy”.
Ricketson appeared in court wearing a pink prison uniform and holding a copy of the spy thriller book “The Faithful Spy” by Alex Berenson.
“Which country was I conducting espionage for?” he asked after the verdict was announced.
