Nitirat academic Worachet Pakeerut released on bail after being charged for not reporting to junta

 
Thai police on Wednesday charged Worachet Pakeerut, a law academic from Thammasat University and member of the courageous Nitirat group, for not reporting to the junta -- on time. 
 
He was released from Bangkok Remand Prison at about 6.30 pm on Wednesday.
 
Worachet flew back from Hong Kong to Don Muang International Airport in Bangkok on Monday. The Immigration Police detained him and took him to the Army Club in Theves, Bangkok. He was later taken to the 11th Infantry Regiment for interrogation. 
 
On Wednesday at 10.20 am, the military took Worachet to the Crime Suppression Division for interrogation. The police decided to charge him with defying the coup makers’ order. At around 1 pm, he was taken to the military court where the police submitted a custody petition. 
 
At around 5 pm, the military court granted his bail request. His family put up 20,000 baht in cash as security.  
 
The academic was summoned twice on May 24 and June 9. On June 10, Patcharin Pakeerut, Worachet’s wife, submitted a letter to the military, saying that Worachet did not intend to flee, and would delay reporting due to his health problems. 
 
On June 7, another member of Nitirat, Sawatree Suksri, was detained at Don Muang airport and detained by the military for three days after she returned from a US State Department-sponsored trip to the United States and had not reported when summoned by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO). Sawatree, however, was not charged. 
 
In March 2012, Worachet was assaulted by royalist twins. The twins said they were dissatisfied with Worachet's staunch opposition to the lèse majesté law.  
 
Nitirat is a group of seven law scholars from Thammasat University. The group has proposed an amendment of the lèse majesté law in line with human rights principles as well as a draft amnesty bill for political prisoners. 
 
The video shows the military taking Worachet to the Crime Suppression Division on Wednesday.  

 

Worachet is taken to the Crime Suppression Division. He did not speak to reporters..

 

 
Worachet after interrogation with the police. The police and the military did not spare time for him to have lunch.

 

 

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