Thailand: Somyot's wife, son detained
Event- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- May 25, 2014
- Final Date
- May 25, 2014
- Event Description
On May 25, around 3.30 p.m, the army searched the house of Somyot Phueksakasemsuk, editor of a pro-red shirt magazine currently serving 11 years in prison for lese majeste. The army arrested Sukanya Phrueksakasemsuk, Somyot's wife, who has been campaigning for political prisoners, and his son Panitan Phrueksakasemsuk, a fourth-year Law student a Thammasat University and an activist himself, taking them both to the Army Club. According to Sukanya, the army also seized two laptops. Somyot was active in labor movements before becoming the leader of a red shirt faction called June 24 for Democracy. He was sentenced on January 23, 2013, when the court found him guilty of publishing two articles deemed defamatory against the monarchy. UPDATE: Sukanya and Panitan Phueksakasemsuk were released on May 25, around 10 p.m., however their siezed computer laptops were not yet returned. Sukanya posted on her Facebook afterwards on May 26 that they "were asked to refrain from giving interview, joining any protest nor expressing opinions into the public for a while in order to maintain peace."
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
- Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of association
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Not active
- Event Location
Latitude: 13.7278956
Longitude: 100.5241235
- Event Location
- Summary for Publications
On May 25 2014, Sukanya and Panitan Phueksakasemsuk, wife and son of Lese Majeste prisoner Somyot Phueksakasemsuk, were arrested by the military and detained at the Royal Thai Army auditorium at Thewes. They were not informed of the reasons for their arrest and were not permitted to access their lawyer. Their home was searched, and their electronics were confiscated. They were released late in the same day, but were forbidden from speaking to the media.