Thai Lawyers for Human RightsMongkol Thirakot, hier op archiefbeeld
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 15:05
A 30-year-old man will spend 50 years in prison in Thailand for lese majeste on Facebook, his lawyers say. According to them, this is the highest punishment for lese majeste ever imposed in the kingdom.
Mongkol Thirakot was arrested in April 2021 during a demonstration for the release of political prisoners. The year before, mass protests took place in Thailand against the controversial legislation. Since then, hundreds of people have been convicted of lèse majesté.
After his arrest, Thirakot was sentenced to 28 years in prison for fourteen counts of lèse majesté. On appeal he was found guilty of a further eleven charges. That is why Thirakot was given an additional 22 years in prison.
It is not clear what exactly the online clothing seller has posted. His lawyer says Thirakot has done nothing wrong. The man plans to appeal in cassation.
87 years in prison
So far, the highest punishment was for Anchan Preelert, a civil servant. She was sentenced to 87 years in prison in 2021 for lèse majesté. Because she had pleaded guilty, the prison sentence eventually became 43 years.
The law aimed at preventing people from criticizing King Rama
Thailand’s lese majeste law is one of the strictest in the world. International human rights organizations regularly criticize the high penalties associated with the law, saying it is used to silence critics.
2024-01-18 14:05:17
#Thai #spend #years #prison #lèsemajesté
