Thailand: Man jailed for record 50 years for criticising the monarchy
File photo.
A man in Thailand has been jailed for a record 50 years for criticising the monarchy, the news agency AFP reported on Thursday (Jan 18) citing a legal rights group. According to the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), an appeal court in the northern city of Chiang Rai sentenced Mongkol Thirakot to 50 years over posts on his Facebook account. Thirakot, 30, is a former pro-democracy activist and owns an online clothing store.
Thirakot was initially sentenced to 28 years in prison by a lower criminal court. But he was found guilty on 11 more counts during his appeal, which led to a longer sentence.
Previous record prison sentence was 43 yrs
"The appeal court sentenced Mongkol Thirakot to 22 years for 112 over his 27 Facebook posts, in addition to the 28-year sentence already passed by the preliminary court. His total jail sentence is 50 years," the TLHR said on Thursday.
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Often referred to as 112, the lese-majeste law shields King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his close family from criticism. The legal rights group said this was the longest prison sentence given for royal defamation, beating the previous record of 43 years imposed on a woman in 2021.
Thirakot was first arrested in 2021
According to the AFP report,Thirakot was first arrested in 2021 during a protest demanding the release of political prisoners. The TLHR said that the 30-year-old would apply for an appeal against the sentence at the Supreme Court.
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Over 250 activists have been charged under the lese-majeste laws since the 2020 protests against the government of then prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, the legal rights group further said. The protests, which went on till 2021, expanded to include the unprecedented demands for reform of the monarchy.
Thirakot's arrest comes after lawyer Arnon Nampa, one of the main protest leaders, had his four-year lese-majeste sentence increased by another four years.
(With inputs from agencies)