The public prosecutor has chosen not to move forward in the case of a famous young twitter user who was arrested for posts about King Rama X. The defendant says he is quite stressed because the statute of limitations is 10 years, but his family is even more concerned.
Niranam_ from behind
On 4 June, the Pattaya Provincial Court held a prosecution order hearing in the case of‘Niranam_ [sic], a twitter user who has criticized the Thai monarchy. However, no prosecution order was submitted.
Pavinee Choomsri, a lawyer from Thai Lawyer for Human Rights, said that the case remains open as the statute of limitations is 10 years. If the prosecutor decides to bring charges, the police can still summon the defendant to the court.
Niranam_ said that he is quite stressed and the lawsuit made his family very concerned about him.
“I have some stress because this is the first case I have had in my life. I am now 20 so some stress is normal. But I did not kill anybody. I only think differently from them. As far as the impact goes, personally I don’t feel much but I think the charge under Section (3) of the Computer Crimes Act about security is rather too serious.”
“The impact is greater on my home, because I’m an only child and they are pretty worried about me.” said Niranam_
The hearing, which was postponed from 8 April, came after the 4th pre-trial detention period. The suspect has the right to reclaim his bail money.
Niranam also gave a poem after he was interviewed:
In the darkest day, a light still shines.
This mind is fragile but will never be destroyed.
Still watching in anticipation of the day of freedom.
Who is Niranam_?
Age 20, Niranam_ is from Chonburi Province. He has posted many comments on the history of the Thai monarchy and become famous among teenagers and social media users. On 19 February, his house was searched by the police and he was taken to Pattaya Police Station without an arrest warrant.
He was subsequently charged with violating the Computer Crime Act over posting photos and messages about King Rama X. He was detained in prison for 5 days and 4 nights before being bailed out.
His arrest and prosecution were in the social media spotlight. 1 day after his arrest, the hashtag #Saveนิรนาม (SaveNiranam) became a twitter top trend. #Freeนิรนาม (FreeNiranam) also hit the top trend on 24 February.
A Facebook page ‘Nai Nam Khwam Sa-ngop Riaproi’ (In the Name of Peace and Order) raised 1.5 million baht online for his bail, which was set at 200,000 baht. The page administrator said that the remaining 1,472,695.16 baht has been spent on Niranam_’s legal costs.
