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 […]
In October, at least one new Section 112 case was filed, although no additional detainees were held pending trial. Five prisoners who had been convicted were released, including two individuals convicted under Section 112. Last month, during the witness examination in Section 112 trials, there were instances where the defendants could not be contacted. The […]
On 23 October 2024, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights submitted an input to the United Nations (UN) Working Group on Discrimination against Women and Girls in preparation for the Working Group’s upcoming country visit to Thailand from 2 to 13 December 2024. The Working Group’s country visit will focus on issues related to discrimination against […]
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 […]
On 7 August 2024, pursuant to a petition from the Election Commission of Thailand, the Constitutional Court ruled (Case No. 10/2567) to dissolve the Move Forward Party. The petition from the Election Commission stemmed from several factors, including: The Court determines that such acts are tantamount to an attempt to overthrow the system of government, […]
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 […]
On 13 March 2024, UN Special Procedures submitted a joint letter of allegation to the Thai government concerning the use of the lèse-majesté law by Thai authorities to prosecute individuals who expressed opinions deemed to be critical of the Thai monarchy. In particular, this letter came after the Thai Court of Appeals Region 5 sentenced […]
