(CTN News) – Arnon Nampa, an activist and human rights lawyer, was sentenced to four years in prison on Thursday for lese-majeste and violating the Computer Crime Act, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR).
The verdict follows three previous convictions and brings Arnon’s total sentence to 14 years, with 10 more cases pending. Sentences for royal defamation under Section 112 of the Criminal Code are consecutive, not concurrent.
Overview of Arnon Nampa’s Legal Troubles and Sentences
Arnon Nampa, 39, has been jailed at Bangkok Remand Prison since he was sentenced in the first case against him on September 26 of last year. Several bail applications were refused.
On Thursday, the Criminal Court sentenced him to six years in prison for two social media posts from January to April 2021. According to his lawyers, the sentence was later lowered to four years when the court determined that he provided useful cooperation.
In April this year, Arnon was sentenced to two years and 20 days in prison and fined 100 baht for insulting the king and disobeying an emergency order, among other counts.The verdict concerned a Harry Potter-themed gathering held outside the Bangkok Arts & Culture Centre in August 2021.
He was already serving an eight-year prison sentence on two counts of lese majeste, one originating from a rally speech in 2020 and the other from a social media post in 2021.
Arnon has been a significant figure in the youth-led democracy movement that began protesting in Bangkok in mid-2020, demanding for controversial issues such as royal reform.
According to TLHR data through June 30 of this year, 1,954 persons have been punished for political activity and expression since July 2020. At least 272 people are facing accusations under Section 112, while 152 have been charged with sedition under Section 116.
Proposed Amendments to Thailand’s Lese-Majeste Law
Another high-profile player in the movement, Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak, received an arrest warrant last month after failing to appear for a lese-majeste verdict.
Mr. Parit faces 25 accusations for violating Section 112. He was released on bond but is thought to have fled the country, according to local media sources.
A Constitutional Court lawsuit might lead to the dissolution of the opposition Move Forward Party due to attempts to change the strict lese-majeste statute, which is among the most stringent in the world. The ruling is scheduled for August 7.
Move Forward proposed revisions that required any lese-majeste complaint to be lodged by the Bureau of the Royal Household. Currently, any individual or group can submit a royal defamation complaint against anyone else, and police must investigate it. As a result, the party claims, politicians and other authority figures have utilized the legislation to silence dissenting voices.
The party has also advocated for reduced terms for lese majeste convictions.
A conviction under Section 112 currently carries a penalty of 3 to 15 years. Courts frequently deny bail to defendants awaiting trial or appealing their convictions based on the seriousness of the offense, as evidenced by the punishment.
Source: Bangkok Post
