Activists Tantawan Tuatulanon and Nutanon Chaimahabut, who have been on a hunger strike for over a month to protest their detention, have been denied bail for the 7th time.

UN experts said today (25 March) that they are alarmed by the royal defamation sentences against human rights lawyer Anon Nampa. They called on the Thai authorities to overturn Anon's conviction and drop the remaining charges against him and others facing prosecution. The Thai authorities must also bring the Criminal Code in line with international human rights standards and release those sentenced for exercising their rights to freedom of expression.

The Cross-Cultural Foundation (CrCF) and a network of other civil society groups filed a letter with the Supreme Court on Friday (8 March) demanding bail for political prisoners.

Prominent Thai figures, including a journalist, academic and artist, have issued declarations, opposing the detention of activists Tantawan Tuatulanon and Nutanon Chaimahabut and calling on the courts to grant them provisional release.

With at least 1,947 people facing prosecution for participating in the pro-democracy movement and 25 people detained pending trial or appeal, a network of civil society organisations is running a campaign to introduce to parliament an amnesty bill for pro-democracy activists and protesters, which they say is the first step towards reconciliation.

The South Bangkok Criminal Court on Friday (26 January) revoked bail for activist Netiporn Sanesangkhom, claiming she violated her bail condition by participating in a protest at the Ministry of Culture on 6 August 2023.

Protests took place last week in Chiang Mai’s old town to show support for detained human rights lawyer Anon Nampa and demand the release of activists and protesters detained on charges relating to political expression.

A 32-year-old online clothing vendor has been sentenced to 6 years in prison for royal defamation stemming from a 2021 share of three Facebook posts about the government’s Covid-19 vaccine policy, police corruption and calls for monarchy reform. He has been denied bail and is now detained at the Bangkok Remand Prison.

The family of detained activist Sopon Surariddhidhamrong, along with other activists and academics, filed a petition with the Supreme Court yesterday (13 November) in protest at the Criminal Court’s sentencing Sopon to jail for using a sound amplifier without permission.

A 37-year-old activist arrested last Monday (6 November) on a royal defamation charge filed against him over a number of Facebook posts has been denied bail and is now detained in a prison in Phatthalung.

The Ratchadapisek Criminal Court has found three activists guilty of insult of court and sentenced them to prison for speeches given during a protest in April 2021 to demand the release of political prisoners.

The denial of bail for Anon Nampa and Weeraphap Wongsaman has brought the number of people detained on a royal defamation charge in Thailand to 13. Of this number, 3 are detained following a final verdict or after a decision not to appeal, while 10 are detained pending trial or appeal.