Human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa has been sentenced to another 2 years and 8 months in prison for lese-majeste and sedition in connection with a speech he gave at a protest in 2020 demanding reform of the monarchy.
The sentence passed on Thursday by the Criminal Court brings to 18 years, 10 months and 20 days the total time Arnon has to serve, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR).
The ruling in the case — the sixth of 14 the activist is facing — will be appealed, his lawyers said. His other five convictions are also still at the appeal stage and no case has been finalised yet, they added.
The case heard on Thursday arose from a complaint filed with police about remarks Arnon made at a Harry Potter-themed rally held near Democracy Monument in Bangkok on Aug 3, 2020.
The court found the defendant guilty under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, the royal defamation law, as well as Section 116, which covers sedition.
“The defendant’s actions were a single act that violated multiple laws. The court therefore sentenced him to 4 years in prison under Section 116,” according to TLHR.
Because he gave testimony that was useful to the trial, the sentence was reduced by one-third, to 2 years and 8 months. The conviction was the second one this month for Arnon.
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 and 154 have been charged with sedition under Section 116.