Kalasin Court Declares Evidence Insufficient Against Piyarat ‘Toto’ Chongthep Linked to Protest Charges
PUBLISHED: 11 Oct 2024 at 18:28
Piyarat ‘Toto’ Chongthep, a Member of Parliament representing Bangkok for the People’s Party, has been acquitted of charges of lese-majeste and computer crimes after a Kalasin court determined that the evidence presented was insufficient. The court emphasized the need to give the accused the benefit of the doubt, stating that witness testimonies failed to distinctly identify him as having committed any offense.
Prosecutors alleged that Chongthep, also known as Toto, had installed seven vinyl banners criticizing the government’s Covid-19 vaccine procurement on January 23, 2021, banners that were subsequently removed by police. At the time, Siam Bioscience, a company owned by the monarchy, was responsible for producing AstraZeneca vaccines.
Chongthep, who was an influential member of the We Volunteer (WeVo) protest group, later used social media to call for the return of the missing banners. Prosecutors argued that a truck used for transporting the banners belonged to his mother and that a vehicle following it was registered to him.
However, the court noted that the evidence did not affirm that he was present at the scene. Additionally, law enforcement failed to provide proof that he had made the online posts while detained at Special Remand Prison during the relevant timeframe.
Following his arrest, Chongthep spent 33 days in custody and was monitored with an electronic bracelet for nearly two months upon his release after bail was granted.
Transitioning from activist to politician in 2023, Chongthep ran under the Future Forward Party and secured a seat in Bangkok’s Phra Khanong-Bang Na district. However, after the party was disbanded earlier this year on constitutional grounds, it was reformed as the People’s Party.
Ongoing Legal Challenges for Peers
Another MP from the People’s Party, Rukchanok “Ice” Srinork, is currently appealing her conviction of six years for lese-majeste and computer crimes. She has been released on bail with stipulations preventing her involvement in similar activities.
Rukchanok’s conviction stemmed from social media posts regarding vaccine allocations that included images of the monarchy. Despite facing criminal charges, she successfully ran and won her election in 2023, defeating a long-standing political figure.
Recent data from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights indicates that since the onset of the Free Youth protests in July 2020, approximately 1,956 individuals have faced legal action for political engagement, with 273 currently charged under the lese-majeste law and 152 facing sedition charges.
