Cambodia releases Dutch man accused of "pornographic dancing" from custody

A 22-year-old man from Haarlem, who is suspected of "pornographic dancing" in Cambodia, was released from custody. He has since left Cambodia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed to NOS on Wednesday.

The Dutch man, Job van der W., was arrested when the police raided a villa party in tourist destination Siem Reap late last month. The local police raided the party based on photos on social media showing young people lying on top of each other. Initially all 90 party attendees were arrested, but the majority of them were quickly released again. Only 10 remained in custody, including W.

On Monday, seven of the detainees were released on the condition that they leave Cambodia and never return. The Dutch man, along with a Brit and a Norwegian, were released on Wednesday, according to the broadcaster. The police held these three responsible for organizing the party.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs would not tell NOS whether Van der W. is still a suspect, referring the broadcaster to the young man's lawyer.

In a Facebook post, Van der W. said that he did not mean to "insult the Cambodian people and their culture by being present at the pool event". He also denies "participating in pornographic activities", and says that the photos were not taken at the raided party, but much earlier. "Our lawyers are now examining the date stamp on the photos."