PHNOM PENH, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's Appeal Court on Tuesday upheld the decision of a lower court to sentence, in absentia, ex-opposition senator Thak Lany to 18 months in prison for alleging that Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen was behind the murder last year of political analyst Kem Ley, according to a verdict.
"The Phnom Penh Municipal Court's decision against Thak Lany is correct, so the Appeal Court decides to uphold the decision," Appeal Court Presiding Judge Plang Samnang said as he pronounced the verdict.
Lany, 61, is a former senator of the Sam Rainsy Party that merged with the Human Rights Party in late 2012 to form a major opposition party called Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP).
She was charged with defamation and incitement to cause social chaos after she accused the prime minister in July last year of having political analyst Kem Ley murdered.
In November last year, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court sentenced Lany to one and a half years in prison and fined her 2,000 U.S. dollars.
Lany fled to Sweden after the prime minister filed a lawsuit against her in August last year.
Kem Ley, 46, was shot dead at a mini-mart in Phnom Penh on July 10 last year when he was drinking a morning coffee.
