Cambodia convicts university graduate of posting bomb threat on Facebook

A Cambodian court has convicted a student, who was arrested on Sept. 28 for posting a bomb threat on Facebook, and sentenced him to 15 months in prison, with 14 months suspended, meaning he will walk free on Wednesday.

Local media reported on Sunday that Tao Savoeun, 26, a fresh graduate at the South-East Asia University in northwestern Cambodia's Siem Reap province, was arrested two days after he posted to Facebook a bomb threat against Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sar Kheng, who was scheduled to award certificates to students at the university on Sept. 28.

The man wrote, "Wait until Samdech (honorary title for Sar Kheng) arrives, plant a bomb to kill all together."

The trial for the man was held by the Siem Reap Provincial Court on Thursday and a verdict was pronounced on the same day, DAP News website reported, citing Presiding Judge Chhun Chanseyha as saying.

"The court sentenced him to 15 months in jail with 14 months of jail term suspended," the presiding judge was quoted by the DAP News as saying.

He said the lenient conviction was due to the man recognized his mistake and wrote a letter to apologize.