Thailand’s attorney general has decided to indict former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on charges of insulting the monarchy in a 2015 interview conducted with a foreign media outlet. The indictment was announced by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) in a press conference on Wednesday.
The allegations originated from a complaint made in 2015 by Deputy Defence Minister Gen Udomdej Sitabutr, citing defamatory remarks against the monarchy in an interview Thaksin gave to a South Korean newspaper. The OAG subsequently pursued a case against Thaksin under Article 112 of the criminal code (lese-majeste law) and the Computer Crime Act.
Thaksin was unable to attend his hearing on Wednesday due to a COVID-19 infection and has requested a postponement to June 15. However, the OAG has mandated his appearance for the indictment’s hearing on June 18, according to spokesperson Prayut Phetcharakhum.
In response, Thaksin’s lawyer, Winyat Chartmontri, expressed his intent to contest the charges and raised questions regarding the authenticity of the interview video, suggesting that it might not be the original.
Thaksin, who served as Thailand’s prime minister from 2001 until his ousting in a 2006 coup, lived in self-imposed exile for 15 years before returning to Thailand in August 2023. Upon his return, he was arrested and served a year in prison over corruption and abuse of power charges before being released on parole in February 2024.
The lese-majeste law, which can impose prison sentences of up to 15 years for insults to the monarchy, remains a contentious issue in Thailand. Recent examples include the sentencing of an activist musician to four years in prison for insulting the monarchy and violating the Computer Crime Act, and a record sentence of 50 years for another individual over defamatory social media posts.
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