A 30-year-old activist from Chiang Rai has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for royal defamation after the Appeal Court ruled to increase the sentence given to him by the Chiang Rai Provincial Court.

Human rights lawyer and activist Anon Nampa has been sentenced to 4 years in prison on a royal defamation charge for 3 Facebook posts criticizing the use of the royal defamation law against critics of the monarchy and calling for monarchy reform.

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 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.

33 student organisations and activists groups filed an open letter with the President of the Supreme Court today (3 October) to demand the release of political prisoners detained pending trial or appeal and to call for an end to the prosecution of citizens under the royal defamation law.

At the Clooney Foundation for Justice’s award ceremony for the 2023 Albie Awards, lawyers from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) during their acceptance speech addressed the prosecution and detention of activists charged for political expression.

Amnesty International and other activists gathered at the Central Women Correctional Institution yesterday (18 September) to demand the release of political prisoners detained pending trial or appeal, including Warunee, a woman detained on a royal defamation charge.

11 people are now detained on a royal defamation charge in Thailand. Of this number, 3 are detained following a final verdict or after a decision not to appeal, while 8 are detained pending trial or appeal.

The denial of bail for activist Sopon Surariddhidhamrong has brought the number of people detained on a royal defamation charge in Thailand to 9. Of this number, 3 are detained following a final verdict or after a decision not to appeal, while 6 are detained pending trial or appeal.

The denial of bail for two people found guilty of royal defamation this June has brought the number of political prisoners in Thailand to 17. Of this number, 10 are detained following a final verdict from the Supreme Court or after a decision not to appeal. The remaining 7 are detained pending trial or appeal, 4 of whom on royal defamation charges.

<p>Two protesters arrested on Thursday (9 March) and charged with royal defamation and contempt of court for singing and speaking at a protest in July 2022 have been denied bail.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Following the pro-democracy protests of 2020 - 2022, many activists were required to wear an electronic monitoring (EM) bracelet to be granted bail. Among them are Chonthicha Jangrew and Panadda Sirimasakul.</p><p>In &ldquo;Electronic Monitoring Devices: Online Shackles,&rdquo; young activists talk about their lives after being charged for joining protests and being ordered to wear an electronic monitoring device while waiting for trial.</p>