The Criminal Court on Tuesday convicted human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa of lese-majeste and computer crime offences and sentenced him to two years in prison. The ruling brings to 16 years and 2 months the total time he has to serve, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR).
The convictions in the latest case — the fifth of 14 he is facing — stemmed from an open letter Arnon wrote to His Majesty the King and posted online on Nov 8, 2020. The court found it contained “untruthful statements” and sentenced him to three years, later reduced to two years because he gave useful information, his lawyers said.
Four other activists also face charges under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, the royal defamation law, for taking part in a campaign called “The People’s Letters”, organised by the pro-democracy group Free People.
Among the subjects covered in the letters was Royal prerogative, which was expanded in the 2017 constitution.
Arnon testified on Oct 31 that his and other protesters’ comments about the King were constructive and aimed at modernising the monarchy.
Arnon has been held in detention since Sept 26, 2023 pending appeals against all his convictions and has been denied bail 31 times, according to his lawyers.
According to data from TLHR to Oct 31 this year, 1,958 people have been prosecuted for political participation and expression since the beginning of the Free Youth protests in July 2020. At least 275 are facing lese-majeste charges under Section 112 of the Criminal Code and 154 have been charged with sedition under Section 116.