BANGKOK: A Thai man has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for criticizing the monarchy, marking the longest jail term ever issued under the kingdom’s strict royal insult laws, reported by a legal rights group.
This record-breaking sentence follows a period in which Thailand has increasingly employed the controversial legislation against pro-democracy protesters, a move criticized for suppressing dissent.
In the northern city of Chiang Rai, an appeal court handed down the sentence to Mongkol Thirakot, a 30-year-old former pro-democracy activist, over posts on his personal Facebook account.
Initially given a 28-year sentence by a lower criminal court, he was found guilty on 11 more counts during the appeal, resulting in the extended sentence.
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) stated, “The appeal court sentenced Mongkol Thirakot to 22 years for 112 over his 27 Facebook posts, in addition to the 28-year sentence already passed by the preliminary court. His total jail sentence is 50 years.” The lese-majeste law, known as 112 in Thailand, shields King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his close family from criticism.
This sentence surpasses the previous record of 43 years imposed on a woman in 2021 for royal defamation. Mongkol, the owner of an online clothing store, was initially arrested in 2021 during a protest advocating for the release of political prisoners.
The youth-led demonstrations in 2020 and 2021 prompted tens of thousands to protest, with many demanding changes to the stringent lese-majeste laws.
TLHR mentioned that Mongkol intends to appeal the sentence at the Supreme Court. Since the 2020 protest movement began, more than 250 activists have faced charges under lese-majeste laws, according to TLHR.
