<p>One day ahead of a court ruling on the temporary release of 3 famous pro-democracy protesters detained on royal defamation charges, the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/naksit.org/photos/a.559642024104300/3919357344799401/">Human Rights Lawyers Association</a> (HRLA) has urged the Office of the Judicial Commission to look into 3 questionable points which may involve the courts in political conflict.</p>

<p>Two students from Chiang Mai University have received police summonses on charges under the lèse majesté law and the 1979 Flag Act for an art installation piece exhibited at an event in March 2021.</p>

<p>Sureerat Chiwarak, mother of detained student activist Parit &ldquo;Penguin&rdquo; Chiwarak, shaved her head yesterday (30 April) to protest against the court&rsquo;s decision to repeatedly deny bail for her son, whose health is reported to be rapidly declining after being on a hunger strike for the past 46 days.</p>

<p>The Criminal Court has once again denied bail for 7 activists detained on royal defamation charges under Section 112, one of whom is Parit Chiwarak, whose health is reported to be rapidly declining due to his hunger strike.</p>

<p>Student activist Wanwalee Thammasattaya has been detained pending trial on a royal defamation charge relating to a protest on 6 December 2020</p>

<p>Four people currently facing royal defamation charges and detained pending trial have been granted bail: activists Jatupat Boonpattararaksa and Somyot Prueksakasemsuk, and two other people who were previously detained at prisons in Chiang Mai.</p>

<p>A Ministry of Digital Economy and Society representative filed a complaint against a trans woman for sharing a Facebook post of an academic critic of the monarchy. In another incident, a man was charged for a post in the &lsquo;Royalist Marketplace&rsquo; Facebook group, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.</p>

<p>PEN International issued a <a href="https://pen-international.org/news/thailand-government-expands-legal-system-against-critics-criminalising-peaceful-expression">statement</a> on Tuesday (20 April) raising concerns about the Thai authorities&#39; use of the royal defamation law against critics of the monarchy and call for the repeal of Section 112 and for all charges against the protesters to be immediately dropped.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Mongkhon Thirakot, who was <a href="https://prachatai.com/english/node/9179">arrested</a> on Wednesday (14 April) on charges under the lèse majesté law and the Computer Crimes Act while on a hunger strike in front of the Criminal Court in Bangkok, has been granted bail after two days in detention.</p>

<p>A man who has been on hunger strike in front of the Criminal Court for the past three days to demand the release of detained activists has been arrested on charges under the lèse majesté law and the Computer Crimes Act.</p>

<p>Ignoring the long Songkran holidays and a new surge of Covid-19 infections, people have started to demonstrate their sympathy with the pro-democracy protesters who are in detention without being proved guilty by joining the detainees in fasting and by protesting in front of the Supreme Court.</p>

<p>Phonphimon (last name withheld), a 22-year-old online vendor from Chiang Mai, faces a royal defamation charge and a charge under the Computer Crimes Act for a Facebook post made in October 2020 and is currently still in detention.</p>