Namgay Zam, who faces a fine of about 10 times the average annual salary or three years in prison, says case risks further subduing deferential media
It is known as the land of gross national happiness, a country that puts contentment before the trappings of wealth and power. But discontent is growing in Bhutan after one of the countrys best-known journalists was hit with a defamation suit for sharing a story on Facebook.
In a case that will test the boundaries of freedom of speech in the tiny Himalayan kingdom, independent journalist Namgay Zam, a former presenter on the state-run broadcaster Bhutan Broadcasting Service, faces imprisonment or a fine equivalent to 10 years salary if she is found guilty of defaming a prominent businessman.
Bhutan held its first democratic elections in 2008, and the transition from absolute monarchy to democracy has been a peaceful one. But Zam and her supporters argue that freedom of the press, a cornerstone of that democracy, is now under threat.
It appears the media can be held accountable in Bhutan, but not the countrys judiciary, Zam said in a telephone interview with the Guardian. And without freedom of the press, how can we prevent institutions becoming corrupted?
Zam is on trial in what is believed to be the first case of its kind in the country for sharing a Facebook post written by a woman about a property dispute between her family and a local businessman, Sonam Phuntsho. The post included allegations of forgery, as well as nepotism within the judiciary.
Zam says she shared the post of a brilliant 26-year-old medical doctor fighting hard to get justice for her family for her perspective as a human-interest story.
Along with the posts author, Dr Shacha Wangmo, Zam was charged on 12 August with libel and petty misdemeanour. Phuntsho is seeking 2.59m Bhutanese ngultrum (about 30,000) 10 times the average annual salary of a management executive in Bhutan. If she is found guilty and cannot pay the fine, Zam faces up to three years in prison.