Section 112 of Thailand’s Criminal Code, which criminalises defamation, insults, and threats to members of the monarchy, is fundamentally incompatible with the right to freedom of expression, said ARTICLE 19 in a briefing published today.
False claim circulates online that Thai court postponed verdict on 2014 protest leaders afp.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from afp.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Thai protest leaders attended court on Wednesday (February 17) after four others were denied bail for allegedly insulting the monarchy. Footage from outside the Bangkok Criminal Court shows supporters printing t-shirts calling for the abolition of Thailand’s lese majeste law. Thirty alleged protest instigators attended the hearing this morning to hear charges related to political rallies. Military rulers have stepped up their prosecution of anti-establishment protest leaders in recent weeks. On Monday, the Court of Appeals rejected the bail requests submitted by the four suspects – Arnon Nampa, Parit Chiwarak, Somyot Prueksakasemsuk, and Patiwat Saraiyam. They will be detained under royal insult charges for their protest on September 19 until a trial date is fixed. A court statement read: ‘The actions cause damage to the monarchy, which is widely revered and worshiped. They had no fear of the law and hurt the feelings of loyal subjects in Thailand.’ Anti-establishment protests
Thai protest leaders appear in court as military cracks down on unrest msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Thai editor gets 10 years for royal insult
A Thai political activist accused of insulting the monarchy has been jailed for 10 years in the latest tough sentence under the kingdom s controversial lese-majesty law. Rights campaigners denounced the conviction. Bangkok Criminal Court convicted the magazine editor Somyot Prueksakasemsuk in connection with two articles deemed offensive to the royal family published in 2010 in his now-closed Voice of Taksin magazine. The editor had already been held for more than a year without bail by the time he was brought into court to receive his sentence on Wednesday. We accept the ruling, but we will appeal, his lawyer, Karom Polpornklang, said after the verdict. I can confirm that he did not intend to violate article 112, Karom added, referring to the lese-majesty law. He was doing his job as a journalist. We will seek bail for him.