Thailand: A Thai court has jailed one of the top figures in the kingdom’s youth-led pro-democracy protest movement for four years on royal insult charges.
Thailand has extremely strict laws against defaming the royal family, particularly King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his close relatives. Critics argue that these laws have been used to silence opposition and suppress criticism.
Mr. Anon Numpa, a 39-year-old activist and human rights lawyer, was found guilty in Bangkok Criminal Court for a speech he delivered during the 2020 protests.
The protests attracted tens of thousands of people, some demanding significant changes to the monarchy and the 15-year prison sentence associated with the lese-majeste law, as per the statement. The case was the first one among 14 lese-majeste charges filed against Mr. Anon.
“Loss of personal freedom is a sacrifice I’m willing to make. We’ve come a long way and we’ve seen lots of changes in the Thai political scene since the movement back in 2020. If I get sentenced to prison today, it might be many years but it will be worth it,” Mr. Anon told reporters ahead of the sentence.
In addition, the court imposed a fine of $550 on him for breaking the emergency decree in place during that period.
After the decision, Mr. Anon’s lawyer, Mr. Krisadang Nutcharas, called him an “innocent man” and mentioned they would likely file an appeal.
Before the hearing, many young political activists, some wearing shirts with “No 112” printed on them, gathered to mark their support.
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