The Criminal Court in Bangkok has sentenced jailed human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa to an additional two years and eight months in prison for royal defamation and sedition in connection with a speech he gave at a protest in Bangkok in November 2020, a rights group said on Friday, bringing his combined sentence to more than 30 years.
The 41-year-old Roi Et native was a prominent figure during unprecedented youth-led democracy movement protests in Bangkok in 2020 that openly called for the monarchy to be reformed.
The speech that Arnon gave did not mention any royal names but it was clear who was being referred to, and those references were defamatory under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, the lèse‑majesté law, according to legal aid group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR).
Friday's verdict was the 11th of 14 royal insult cases the jailed activist faces.
Arnon on Friday posted a message on Facebook, thanking about 100 supporters packing the courtroom, with some standing over two hours. His jail term is now 31 years and nine months, he wrote.
TLHR said at least 291 people have been charged with lèse‑majesté offences since 2020.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling sentencing a man to three years and four months in prison for violating the lèse‑majesté law over a social media post about the death of King Rama VIII, which negatively referred to King Rama IX.
The court found Section 112 protects only four positions — the King, Queen, heir-apparent and Regent — who are currently in office. However, the court ruled that defaming a former monarch, even after his death, can affect national security.
On Feb 9, the National Anti‑Corruption Commission (NACC) found 44 former Move Forward Party MPs—now mostly with the People’s Party—guilty over their 2023 pledge to amend the lèse‑majesté law.
The NACC’s decision will be forwarded to the Supreme Court for consideration and judgement within 30 days of the resolution. A guilty ruling could cost the former MPs their seats and bar them from future elections.
