A Thai criminal court has acquitted a prominent Thai opposition political figure charged with cybercrimes and insulting the royal family during a 2021 Facebook livestream.
Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, the 47-year-old founder of the progressive political movement aligned with the current opposition People’s Party, had been accused of lese majeste and violating the country’s cyber laws during the January 2021 livestream, in which he said the government had mishandled its COVID-19 vaccine campaign and unfairly favoured Siam Bioscience, a company owned by King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
Thanathorn’s lawyer, Krisadang Nutcharat, said the prosecutor has 30 days to appeal the court’s sentence. If his appeal is rejected, Thanathorn will be cleared of all charges. The office of the attorney general did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The acquittal comes as the Thai government continues to face criticism for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The acquittal also highlights the ongoing challenges facing the Thai opposition, particularly in the wake of the 2020 Constitutional Court ruling that banned Thanathorn from politics for 10 years. Thanathorn had been accused of breaching election laws by extending a loan to the now-dissolved Future Forward Party, the predecessor of the People’s Party.
Thai law is strict on lese majeste, with anyone found guilty facing up to 15 years in prison. The charges against Thanathorn were part of a wider crackdown on dissent in the country, with many critics accusing the government of using the laws to silence opposition voices.
The case of Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit has been closely watched by human rights groups and international observers, who have called on the Thai government to reform its lese majeste laws and protect the rights of its citizens.
With the acquittal, Thanathorn is set to return to politics, but the case highlights the ongoing challenges facing the Thai opposition in the face of strict laws and government crackdowns. It also raises questions about the limits of free speech in Thailand and the role of the royal family in the country’s politics.