The Supreme Court ruled yesterday (7 May) to uphold the guilty verdict against Tiwagorn Withiton, who was charged with royal defamation for posting a picture of himself wearing a shirt printed with “I have lost faith in the monarchy”.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said that the Supreme Court ruled to uphold the guilty verdict and prison sentence handed down by the Appeal Court and sentenced Tiwagorn to 6 years in prison. The t-shirt was also confiscated.

Neither Tiwagorn nor his lawyer was given prior notice of when the verdict would be delivered.

Tiwagorn was charged with royal defamation, sedition, and violation of the Computer Crimes Act for posting the picture, which went viral in 2020.

In July 2020, he was arrested and forcibly admitted to Khon Kaen Rajanagarindra Psychiatric Hospital, He was discharged on 22 July 2020 after a public campaign calling for his release. He was arrested again on 4 March 2021 and taken to Tha Phra Police Station in Khon Kaen and charged for Facebook posts he made on 11 and 18 February 2021.

In September 2022, the Khon Kaen Provincial Court dismissed charges against Tiwagorn because the evidence did not prove that the defendant intended to defame or express hostility to the monarch.

On 14 August 2024, the Appeal Court overturned the verdict, ruling that he intended to defame the King by posting a picture of himself wearing the shirt and inviting people to buy the shirt, and because people were leaving comments on his posts which were defamatory against the King.

He was sentenced to 9 years in prison, reduced to 6 years because he gave useful testimony.

Tiwagorn has been detained at the Khon Kaen Special Correctional Institution since August 2024. He has so far served 1 year and 8 months of his sentence.