Thailand: legal reform advocate charged with Lese Majeste
Event- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- May 23, 2014
- Event Description
A graduate student from Thammasat University was charged on Friday with lese majeste offence after he was detained for seven days after protesting the coup last week. The police claimed the military had received evidence taken from the defendant's Facebook post. Apichart (last name withheld) was taken to Bangkok Remand Prison on Friday after the court denied him bail, citing flight risk. The 25-year-old man was also charged with Section 14 of Computer Crime Act and violation of the junta's order. Despite guarantee from Deputy Dean of Thammasat University Parinya Tewanarumitkul, the court rejected it saying that their relationship is not as close as relatives. He was arrested on May 23 when he joined the anti-coup protest in front of Bangkok Art and Cultural Center, and later was detained at the Police's Crime Suppression Division in Bangkok. Apichart works as an intern for The Law Reform Commission of Thailand. UPDATE 2/06/2014: Mr.Apichart was denied bail by the Criminal Court for the second time. His mother had put forward 500,000 baht and another 500,000 through the Government Savings Bank Lottery, but the court ruled that flight risk remained high.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
- Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly
- Right to Protest
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Event Location
Latitude: 13.727895599999997
Longitude: 100.5241235
- Event Location
- Summary for Publications
On May 30 2014, Mr. Aphichat, a graduate of Thammasat University and employee of the Legal Reform Commission of Thailand, was charged with Lese Majeste, violation of Section 14 of the Computer Crimes Act, and violation of the junta's orders. Mr. Aphichat was initially arrested on May 23 for having participated in an anti-coup protest and has been in military custody since then. He was denied bail allegedly due to risk of flight, despite the Deputy Dean of Thammasat University's offer to be his guarantor. UPDATE 2/06/2014: Mr. Aphichat was denied bail by the Criminal Court for the second time. His mother had put forward 500,000 baht and another 500,000 through the Government Savings Bank Lottery, but the court ruled that flight risk remained high. The charges against Mr. Aphichat are reportedly related to posts he had made on facebook. UPDATE 23/06/2014: Mr. Aphichat has been released after a police request to renew his custody petition was denied by the criminal court. The police had hoped to extend Mr. Aphichat's custody to allow them to gather more evidence, but the court ruled that Mr. Aphichat should be released to allow him to take care of his mother, submit his graduate thesis, and continue his work as an officer with the Law Reform Commission of Thailand.