Wednesday, May 29, 2024 - Thailand’s former Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra has been indicted on charges of insulting the monarchy, the country’s attorney-general has said.
The case, filed by police, alleged Thaksin violated
Thailand’s notoriously harsh royal insult law during an interview he gave in
2015 to the South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo.
“The attorney general has decided to indict Thaksin on all
charges,” spokesperson Prayuth Bejraguna, told reporters Wednesday.
Thaksin will need to appear before the Office of the Attorney General on June
18, after which he will be taken to court. He could not appear at Wednesday’s
hearing due to a Covid-19 infection, the spokesperson said.
Thaksin has denied the charges, according to the
spokesperson, and has repeatedly pledged loyalty to the monarchy.
He is the most high-profile figure to face charges under
Thailand's notorious lese majeste law, which has been used extensively against
political dissidents.
Thaksin, who served as prime minister from 2001 until he was
ousted in a military coup in 2006, made a dramatic return to
Thailand last August after 15 years in self-imposed exile and was
taken into custody.
Some experts believe Thaksin may have struck a deal with the
country’s powerful conservative and royalist establishment for his return given
his court convictions and the charges against him. Thaksin has denied the
claim.
He was sentenced to eight years in prison for conflict of
interest, abuse of power, and corruption during his time in power, though his
sentence was later reduced to one year. In February, the 74-year-old
was released from detention after being granted parole, having served
just six months in a police hospital.
Thailand has some of the world’s strictest royal defamation
laws, and criticizing the king, queen, or heir apparent can lead to a
maximum 15-year prison sentence for each offense.
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