A 53-year-old man has been sentenced to 2 years and 8 months in prison for royal defamation over his Facebook posts questioning the monarchy’s tax spending.

The Court of Appeal for Specialized Cases on Wednesday (24 July) found Bell (pseudonym), a 20-year-old student activist, guilty of royal defamation for posts made on the Facebook group of local activist groups in November 2020 and gave him a 1 year and 6 month suspended prison sentence.

Human Rights lawyer Anon Nampa was found guilty yesterday (25 July) of royal defamation and violation of the Computer Crimes Act for two Facebook posts made in January and February 2021 criticizing the King’s exercise of power, bringing his cumulative prison sentence for royal defamation to over 14 years.

Activists in Chiang Mai have filed petitions addressed to the President of the Supreme Court, the Region 5 Chief Justice, and the Move Forward Party calling for bail for political prisoners detained for royal defamation.

Activist Shinawat Chankrajang has been sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison over a royal defamation charge related to a speech he gave about the King’s property during a protest. The case is his 8th royal defamation charge and he is currently facing a total of 15 years and 24 months in prison.

On 25 July, the Criminal Court will deliver its verdict in the fourth royal defamation case against human rights lawyer and activist Anon Nampa for a number of Facebook posts criticizing the King’s exercise of power. During the 24 June hearing, Anon affirmed his adherence to the principle that “the King can do no wrong” and asserted that the content of his posts was based on fact.

Protesters gathered in front of the Ratchadapisek Criminal Court on Sunday (14 July) in memory of activist Netiporn Sanesangkhom, who died in detention two months ago following a long hunger strike.

The Network for People’s Amnesty filed a petition today (18 July) calling on the ad-hoc committee studying approaches to an amnesty bill to include those facing royal defamation charges in its amnesty programme.

3 activists arrested for singing a protest song have been sentenced to 7 years in prison for royal defamation and contempt of court. The sentence was later reduced to 3 years and 6 months.

Activist-turned-Move Forward Party MP Piyarat Chongthep has filed a request with the Kalasin Provincial Court calling for the repeal of a 1 July court order ending witness examination in a royal defamation trial against him on the grounds that the order makes the trial unlawful. He also requested that the court re-schedule the hearing.

The Appeal Court for Specialised Cases has upheld the decision not to release a political activist from a juvenile detention centre on a royal defamation charge following his participation in a 2021 protest.

A noodle vendor has been indicted on a royal defamation charge for a speech about the royal motorcade budget given at a protest on 19 July 2022.