A citizen journalist from the Deep South has been acquitted of a charge brought against him while reporting on a case of extrajudicial killing, while the mother of the deceased has been sentenced to prison.

Asmadi Beheng, an independent reporter, and Maeda Sani, the mother of Haicham Samahae, who was shot by an official, were accused of attempting to retrieve Haicham’s body and charged with using force to interfere with an official carrying out their duty.

Asmadi Beheng

Haicham, a suspect in a national security case, was killed on 26 April 2023. His mother, along with other villagers, tried to retrieve his body from Pattani Hospital. 

The prosecution claimed that Asmadi and Maeda interfered with the official by attempting to retrieve Haicham’s body from the hospital for a religious ritual before identity verification had been completed for investigative purposes.

The Pattani Provincial Court sentenced Maeda to one year in prison with a fine of 10,000 baht. Due to her guilty plea, the sentence was reduced to six months, suspended for two years, and a fine of 5,000 baht. Asmadi was acquitted.

The case against Asmadi is one of 14 classified as SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) against activists in the Deep South.

After hearing the verdict, Asmadi expressed relief but remained concerned. He was worried about other political cases in the Deep South, such as the academic forum on self-determination organised by university students or the ‘Malayu outfit’ demonstration.

Asmadi asserted that a reporter has the right to observe and report what happens, with transparency and professionalism. The reporter added that he had never personally known the mother of the deceased. At the moment, he was attempting to convey the act of humanity and the mother’s feelings towards her son.

“We have to communicate, especially on the issue of extrajudicial killings, which have occurred so frequently in the area that they are felt to be a significant issue. This must be addressed through policy. We have to gather information and conduct as much communication work as possible,” said Asmadi

Atiwat Sengkuy, Asmadi’s lawyer, added that the Court gave Asmadi the benefit of the doubt due to insufficient evidence. He also revealed that while the Court acquitted Asmadi, the case may not yet be finalised. The public prosecutor can appeal within a month.