Sentences against Arnon Nampa now total 14 years, with 10 additional cases pending.
PUBLISHED: 25 Jul 2024 at 17:17
In a significant legal development, activist and human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa has been sentenced to an additional four years in prison for charges of lese-majeste and violations of the Computer Crime Act. This ruling, announced on Thursday, adds to his previous convictions, totaling 14 years, with 10 more cases still under consideration.
The Criminal Court’s latest ruling is based on two social media posts made between January and April 2021. While initially sentenced to six years, the punishment was reduced to four years due to the court recognizing his cooperation. Since his detention at Bangkok Remand Prison following a conviction in September last year, all bail applications have been denied.
Earlier this year, Arnon received a sentence of two years and 20 days, along with a fine for a rally held in August 2021. Currently, he is already serving eight years for prior lese-majeste convictions related to a 2020 speech and a 2021 social media post.
Arnon Nampa has emerged as a prominent figure in Thailand’s youth-led democracy movement, which gained momentum in mid-2020, advocating for several controversial reforms, including monarchy reform. According to reports, since July 2020, nearly 2,000 individuals have faced legal action for political expression, with hundreds charged under Section 112, the lese-majeste law.
Furthermore, there are ongoing concerns regarding another key activist, Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak, who faces 25 charges related to lese-majeste and is believed to have fled the country following an arrest warrant issued last month.
Amid these developments, discussions continue surrounding proposed amendments to the lese-majeste law, which is among the strictest globally. These proposed changes could potentially culminate in a Constitutional Court case that may affect the opposition Move Forward Party, with a ruling expected on August 7.
Current laws permit any individual or group to file a royal defamation complaint, which the party argues is exploited to suppress dissent. They advocate for reform that would limit complaints to the Bureau of the Royal Household and for reduced sentences for those convicted under Section 112, which carries a penalty of 3 to 15 years.
