PHNOM PENH, April 19 (Xinhua) -- The Appeal Court of Cambodia on Thursday denied bail for two former U.S.-funded Radio Free Asia (RFA) journalists, who have been charged with espionage, their lawyer said.

"The court rejected our bail request and upheld the Phnom Penh Municipal Court's decision to detain them," Keo Vanny, a lawyer for the pair, told reporters after the hearing.

Oun Chhin, 49, and Yeang Sothearin, 35, were arrested in November last year in Phnom Penh for allegedly running an illegal production studio in order to send information to the Washington-based RFA.

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court in November last year charged the pair with providing a foreign state with information which undermined national defense.

Under the charges, they could face an imprisonment between seven and 15 years in prison if convicted.

RFA closed its Phnom Penh office in September last year after the Cambodian government enforced its law, requiring media outlets to apply for a license and to comply with tax rule.