BANGKOK (AP) — A Thai court on Wednesday convicted and sentenced a newly elected lawmaker to six years in prison for defaming the monarchy. A controversial law to protect the royal institutions.
Rukchanok Snork arrives at the court building in the capital, Bangkok, while her fellow parliamentarians are meeting in parliament.
I submitted a request for postponement (of the hearing) because today the first session of the new parliament was held, but the court refused it. So I'm here to hear the verdict," she told reporters, standing next to the party leaders who were on the scene to offer support.
She was charged with two posts she shared on the social platform X (formerly known as Twitter) two years ago: a tweet that reportedly defamed the monarchy because of a link to a coronavirus vaccine, and an anti-monarchy quote from an 18th-century Frenchman. Philosopher Denis Diderot.
Under Article 112 of Thailand's Penal Code, which protects the monarchy, rukchanok is sentenced to three years in prison for each count, known as "lese majeste." She was also convicted under the Computer Crimes Act, a broad section of the Act covering activities that was criticized as a threat to free speech.
She has appealed the sentence and applied for bail. If refused, she will lose her status as a member of parliament.
Thai opposition Move Forward MP (right) hugs her supporters as she arrives at the Bangkok Criminal Court in Thailand. The parliamentarian denied that she had posted the tweets, calling the case against her "weak". The plaintiff reportedly provided a screenshot of the post, but could not find the link.
The 29-year-old Ruchano won a seat in May** as part of a shocking victory for the Progressive Party that shook Thailand**. As the party was eventually defeated by powerful conservative forces, the victory did not translate into power. She started out as a defender of the conservative wing before switching sides and joining the progressive movement.
The monarchy and the laws that protect it have come under pressure over the past few years. In 2020, tens of thousands of people, mostly young people, marched in several Thai cities to demand constitutional reform and the repeal of the so-called "Law 112." * The response was an unprecedented number of prosecutions.
In 2021, pro-democracy activists launched a campaign calling for the repeal of the law.
Critics say laws against the monarch are often used to crack down on political dissent. The law states that insulting the monarch, the monarch's immediate family, and the regent is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.