Thai Man Sentenced to Record 50 Years for Insulting Monarchy
A Thai appeal court has extended a man's prison sentence to a record 50 years for insulting the monarchy, marking one of the toughest penalties ever imposed under the country's lese majeste law.
The Verdict and Its Impact
In a landmark decision, a Thai appeal court has extended a man's prison sentence to a record 50 years for insulting the monarchy. This ruling is believed to be the toughest penalty ever imposed under the country's draconian lese majeste law, according to a legal rights group.
Mongkol Thirakhot, a 30-year-old online clothes vendor and political activist from northern Chiang Rai province, was originally sentenced in 2023 to 28 years in prison for social media posts deemed damaging to the king. The recent court of appeal in Chiang Rai found Mongkol guilty of about a dozen more violations of the royal insult law and added 22 years to his sentence, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said in a statement.
Thailand has some of the world's strictest lese majeste laws, and criticizing the king, queen, or heir apparent can lead to a maximum 15-year prison sentence for each offense. Sentences for those convicted under Section 112 of Thailand's Criminal Code, or lese majeste law, can be decades long, with hundreds of people prosecuted in recent years.
Challenges and Criticisms
Mongkol, also known as 'Busbas,' was arrested in April 2021 over 27 posts he made on Facebook during March and April that year. A criminal court found him guilty of 14 violations of lese majeste and sentenced him in January 2023 to 28 years. The appeal court not only upheld Mongkol's earlier conviction but also found him guilty in 11 of the 13 cases that the lower court had earlier dismissed, imposing the longer sentence, TLHR said.
The previous record jail time for a lese majeste conviction was in 2021 when Anchan Preelert, 65, was sentenced to 43 years for sharing audio clips critical of the kingdom's royal family. Human rights organizations and free speech campaigners have criticized lese majeste as a political tool to silence critics of the Thai government.
Rights groups say the right to freedom of expression in Thailand has come under increased attack since 2020, when youth-led protests erupted across the country demanding constitutional and democratic reforms, including reducing the military's power and influence in politics and reforms to the powerful monarchy. Since the start of those protests in July 2020, at least 1,938 people have been prosecuted for their participation in political assemblies and for speaking out, with 286 of those cases involving children.
Call for Reforms and International Response
Akarachai Chaimaneekarakate, advocacy lead at TLHR, called the 50-year prison sentence a 'record-breaking' punishment and stressed the urgent need for reforms to Thailand's lese-majeste law. He expressed that Thailand's anachronistic lese-majeste law is in dire need of reforms and called it a wake-up call to the government to amend the law and bring it in line with international standards.
The international community has also taken notice, with concerns raised about Thailand's lese majeste prosecutions. The ongoing prosecution of individuals, including prominent activists and lawmakers, has drawn attention to the restrictions on freedom of expression in the country. The verdicts and sentences have sparked calls for Thailand to address the issue and align its laws with international human rights standards.
Parliament member Rukchanok Srinork of Thailand's opposition Move Forward party arrives at criminal court for the verdict for allegedly violating the lese majeste law in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023. A court in Thailand convicted and sentenced Wednesday the recently elected lawmaker to six years in prison for defaming the monarchy under a controversial law that guards the royal institution. (AP Photo/Sopha Saelee)
