PHNOM PENH: An Australian filmmaker in Cambodia has been charged with espionage after being arrested for flying a camera drone over an opposition party campaign rally.
A Phnom Penh Municipal Court spokesman said James Ricketson was charged on Friday with collecting information prejudicial to national defence, which is punishable by five to 10 years in prison. He was arrested on June 3 after filming the last day of campaigning for local elections a day earlier.
It was unclear until Friday whether he was arrested for flying a drone without official permission, breaking immigration laws, or violating the national security statute.
The government has been critical of media it considers sympathetic to the opposition, and Ricketson was known for filming the activities of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party.