Court Sentences Lawmaker To 2 Years In Jail For Insulting Monarchy In Thailand

A Thailand court has sentenced musician, activist and lawmaker, Chonthicha Jaengraew to two years in jail for insulting monarchy.

The Move Forward Party (MFP)’s MP was found guilty by a Thanyaburi Court, north of Bangkok for violating the Country’s strict lease-majesty laws over an anti-government protest speech she made in 2021.

The law is one of the strictest of its kind as it seeks to protect Thailand’s monarchy from criticism with jail terms of 15 years for each suspected insult.

Chonthicha who was said to have set fire to the portrait of the king got a two years jail term instead of 3 years because she cooperated, her lawyer told newsmen.

The Lawyer added that the MP was released on bail of 150,000 baht ($4,000) pending an appeal.

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MFP, which had won most of the seats in parliament during last year’s elections is facing legal battles of its own over a previous plan to amend the royal insult law which shields the royal family from criticism.

More than 272 people have been charged with insulting the monarchy since 2020 with 17 of those in jail in pre-trial detention, LEADERSHIP has learnt.

Recent upsurges have suggested that the royal defamation laws are being misused to stifle legitimate political debate as MFP’s Rukchanok Srinork was also sentenced to 6 years in jail last year over social media posts that criticised the monarchy.