During its 100th session in late August 2024, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued its opinion (Opinion No. 28/2024) on the detention of human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa under Section 112 (lèse-majesté) of the Thai Criminal Code. The Working Group concludes that the deprivation of Mr. Nampa’s liberty is arbitrary as it violates […]
On 9 October 2024, Thailand won a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) following the election for the 2025-2027 term. Alongside Thailand, successful bids for a seat on the Council by other countries in the Asia-Pacific region include Cyprus, the Republic of Korea, Qatar, and the Marshall Islands. Thailand will begin its […]
Last September, there was at least one new case under Section 112 and Section 116 each. One more individual has been detained pending trial. One individual convicted under Section 112 has been discharged under the Royal Pardon Decree while the amnesty bills are being considered in Parliament. Meanwhile, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights has submitted […]
In August, there were at least two news cases under Section 112 and two additional detainees. Meanwhile, the Court of First Instance dismissed one more case under the Public Assembly Act, making the trend of verdicts for such cases even more interesting. At the police and prosecutorial levels, preparations for indictments under the Emergency Decree […]
On 28 August 2024, human rights defenders (HRDs) from Thailand’s Southern Border Provinces and Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) met with the diplomatic community at the Embassy of Sweden in Bangkok to provide briefing about the ongoing criminal proceedings against the HRDs for exercising their right to freedom expression. The meeting was attended by […]
In July, political prosecutions continued, with one new case each under Section 112 and the Public Assembly Act. At least three additional individuals have been detained in connection with Section 112 cases, including those who were denied bail during appeals and those whose cases have reached final judgments. Additionally, there have been rulings in significant […]
June 2024 Total number of politically charged personsAltogether 1,954 persons in 1,297 cases No. of alleged offenders No. of cases Section 112 272 303 Section 116 152 50 Violating Emergency Decree 1,466 671 Public Assembly Act 181 99 Computer Crimes Act 202 225 Contempt of Court 43 25 (At least 34 persons indicted in 10 […]
May 2024 Total number of politically charged personsAltogether 1,954 persons in 1,296 cases No. of alleged offenders No. of cases Section 112 272 303 Section 116 152 50 Violating Emergency Decree 1,466 670 Public Assembly Act 181 99 Computer Crimes Act 202 225 Contempt of Court 43 25 (At least 34 persons indicted in 10 […]
Last April, there was a slight increase in political cases, with two additional Section 112 cases. Still, we saw gradual indictments and verdicts issued by the court in existing cases. In the past month, judgments have been rendered in at least two Section 112 cases, resulting in one additional individual being imprisoned, namely Pornchai in […]
“Bung” died in custody while being detained in Section 112 (lese-majeste) case. Currently, 43 individuals are being detained as political prisoners, including 25 facing Section 112 charges. 27 pre-trial detainees are being denied the right to bail. As of 14 May 2024, at least 43 individuals remained in detention for political charges, setting a record […]
The current state of human rights in Thailand remains grim. Since Thailand’s 2006 coup, at least 5,027 individuals have been prosecuted for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. Almost a third of these prosecutions occurred between 18 July 2020 and 31 January 2024, during which at least 1,947 individuals were politically […]
Following the election in May 2023, Thailand witnessed a transition from a government led by Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha to one led by the Pheu Thai Party. Nevertheless, surveillance and intimidation against activists, students, and politically active citizens by state authorities, extrajudicial measures that have been employed against activists since the NCPO era, remain ongoing. No […]
