Thai court issues 35-year sentence for insulting monarchy
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BANGKOK — A military court in Thailand on Friday sentenced a man to 35 years in prison for social media posts deemed defamatory to the monarchy, a punishment believed to be the longest ever handed down for the offence of lese majeste.
The Bangkok military court sentenced a salesman to 70 years’ imprisonment on 10 counts of lese majeste, but halved the sentence because he had pleaded guilty, said Sorawut Wongsaranon of Thai Lawyers for Human Rights. He identified the man only by the single name Wichai to protect his privacy because of the sensitive nature of the offence.
Lese majeste — insulting the monarchy — is punishable by three to 15 years’ imprisonment per incident. There has been a sharp rise in cases since a military took power in a coup in 2014 and decreed that lese majeste would be prosecuted in military courts.
The upsurge in cases came as Thailand was undergoing a royal transition, with the decline and death in October last year of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, and his succession by his son, now King Maha Vajiralongkorn. However, critics of the law say it is often used as a tool of political repression.
