MELBOURNE: The family of an Australian filmmaker pardoned by Cambodia after being jailed on espionage charges say they are happy the “nightmare” has come to an end, while the Australian foreign minister thanked the government in Phnom Penh for his release.
James Ricketson, 69, was freed from Prey Sar prison in Phnom Penh on Friday after a court sentenced him in August to six years in jail in a case that Human Rights Watch called “a ludicrous charade”.
Cambodian immigration officials on Saturday were preparing to deport Ricketson, saying they expected to arrange a flight for him within the day.
Ricketson was arrested in June 2017 after being photographed flying a drone above a rally organised by the now-dissolved opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) before communal elections. Authorities claimed he was spying but they produced no evidence to indicate for whom the spying took place.
“We are just so relieved and excited about this news,” Ricketson’s son, Jesse, told Reuters in an e-mailed statement.
“It still hasn’t really sunk in. It has been a really tough 16 months and I’m just kind of in shock right now. We would like to offer our hugest gratitude to King Norodom Sihamoni for showing us compassion and bringing this nightmare to an end.”
Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne also thanked her Cambodian counterpart for the release. “This ends a distressing time for Mr Ricketson and his family,” Payne said in an e-mailed statement.
Jesse Ricketson said the family had been concerned about his father’s health as he approaches 70.
“We’re not sure how long he could have continued to endure the conditions of the notorious Prey Sar prison,” he said.
He added that the family expected Ricketson in Australia “very soon”, probably on Sunday.
The filmmaker has been visiting Cambodia for more than 20 years, producing documentaries about the country and its people.
His arrest came amid a wider crackdown on freedom of expression by the government of Hun Sen and his Cambodian People’s Party (CPP). The CPP in July won all 125 seats in a rigged election on July 29.
After the poll Hun Sen returned to a pattern of easing up on dissent, freeing numerous activists, opposition figures and dissidents.
Ricketson’s pardon comes just days before Hun Sen is scheduled to travel to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly. While there he is expected to make a speech claiming that the country’s elections were legitimate.