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3w ago

Thai Court Acquits Thanathorn on Royal-Insult and Cybercrime Charges

Prosecutors have 30 days to appeal, keeping legal pressure on Thailand's opposition.

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FILE - Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit speaks during a press conference after a Thai court ordered to dissolved his political party in Bangkok, Thailand, Feb. 21, 2020. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe, File)
Banned opposition politician Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit turns up at a police station after police charged him with defaming the monarchy, after he accused the government of relying too much on a royal-owned company to produce its supply of coronavirus vaccines, in Bangkok, Thailand, March 30, 2021. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

Overview

  • A Bangkok criminal court cleared Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit of lese majeste and computer-crimes charges on Thursday over a January 2021 Facebook livestream.
  • Court findings cited by Thai Lawyers for Human Rights said the remarks targeted then-prime minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha's vaccine handling and did not amount to royal defamation.
  • The charges stemmed from Thanathorn's criticism of COVID-19 vaccine procurement tied to Siam Bioscience, a company linked to the king, and he was formally indicted in 2022.
  • Thailand's lese majeste law carries up to 15 years in prison per offence and the computer crimes act carries up to five years, which rights groups say have been used to pressurise critics.
  • The ruling is a rare legal win for a major opposition figure but leaves open broader political risks because prosecutors can appeal and other MPs remain under investigation or face convictions.