A 27-year-old pro-democracy activist has been sentenced to two years in prison for royal defamation over a Facebook post made in 2022.

The Appeal Court on Monday(28 April) upheld an initial verdict sentencing a 27-year-old Pimchanok Jirataiyanon to prison for royal defamation based on her Facebook post on 17 February 2022, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights(TLHR).

The post in question said “The government is shit, the institution is shit”, which a complainant interpreted as intended to refer to the royal institution without mentioning it explicitly.

The activist was apprehended at her residence in Bangkok on 18 March 2022, without having received a prior summons.

She testified that she did not refer to the royal institution as accused, but rather an educational institution. In addition, she argued that the royal defamation law covers only the King, the Queen, the Heir Apparent, and the Regent, rather than the whole royal institution.

The court on 16 February 2023 sentenced her to prison, given that a day before the post, she was found live streaming near the route of Her Royal Princess Highness Chulabhorn’s motorcade in Chiang Mai. She also refused to leave the area when asked by the police.

According to a police officer’s testimony, she was involved in a political movement related to the monarchy and the royal defamation law. Pimchanok previously attended political activities, such as the “Stand Against Detention” movement, campaigning to repeal the royal defamation law. However, she had never been charged with royal defamation, but solely under the Emergency Decree.

The court found that, despite mentioning any specific monarch, the royal defamation law protects the monarchy as an institution. It ruled that it is understood that the King and the monarchy are inseparable and represent the same entity. The Queen, the Heir Apparent, and the Regent are also regarded as integral parts of the monarchy.

The defendant’s post was found to insult and undermine the King’s dignity. Accordingly, the court found Pimchanok guilty as charged and sentenced her to three years in prison. However, given her helpful testimony, the sentence was reduced to two years.

Pimchanok had been granted bail pending her appeal, but the Appeal Court sentenced her to prison. Pimchanok is currently filing an appeal with the Supreme Court.

TLHR reported that the Supreme Court would take around 2-3 days to consider the request, during which she will be under detention at the Chiang Mai Women Correctional Institution.