Film-maker heads home

Australian film-maker James Ricketson was expected to arrive in Australia late yesterday after being pardoned by Cambodia’s king.

His family have expressed joy and relief following the Australian filmmaker’s royal pardon after 15 months in a Cambodian prison on ‘‘outrageous’’ espionage charges.

The Ricketson family yesterday expressed their gratitude to supporters and friends who helped his release.

‘‘Right now our primary focus is on James’ welfare – 16 months in prison will have taken a huge toll on him physically and emotionally, and we want him to be able to rest and recuperate,’’ they said in a statement yesterday.

‘‘James still deeply loves Cambodia and its people and remains committed to helping however he can.’’

The family will hold a press conference in Sydney today.

Targeted by Prime Minister Hun Sen’s authoritarian government, Ricketson was sentenced in June to six years’ imprisonment and the family feared the 69-year-old would not survive the harsh conditions.

Roxanne Holmes, his adopted daughter, said it had been an emotional and tumultuous journey since Ricketson was arrested last year for flying a drone over a rally held by Cambodia’s opposition party.

The pardon by King Norodom Sihamoni was issued on Friday, local time, at the request of Hun Sen. Ricketson’s conviction has been criticised as an apparently political act as the Prime Minister cracked down on dissent before elections in July.

After a trial in a justice system widely condemned by human rights advocates and legal experts, Ricketson was convicted of ‘‘espionage and collecting harmful information that could affect national defence’’.

In a statement, Jesse Ricketson said the family held grave concerns for his father’s health and ‘‘we’re not sure how long he could have continued to endure the conditions of the notorious Prey Sar prison’’. –