Thai Court Sentences Rights Lawyer Arnon Nampa to Two Years and Eight Months
A court in Bangkok has sentenced Arnon Nampa, a 42-year-old human rights lawyer, to two years and eight months in prison for violating Thailand's lèse majesté law, according to the BBC.
Lèse majesté laws protect a monarch from insult. In Thailand, the rule is Article 112 of the criminal code, which says that anyone who defames, insults or threatens the King, the Queen, the Heir-apparent or the Regent can be imprisoned for three to 15 years.
Nampa's case is one of many. He faces 14 cases under the charge, and the sentences handed down so far in them total more than 34 years. Verdicts in two of those cases are still pending. The sentence reported this week is one of the rulings in that group.
The charges stem in part from Nampa's public speeches. In 2020 he spoke at a Harry Potter-themed demonstration in central Bangkok, dressed as the fictional wizard, and called for the monarchy to be scrutinised and held accountable.
The wider picture is also large. According to the BBC, 294 people, including 20 under the age of 18, have been prosecuted under the lèse majesté law over the past six years. Those convicted have received prison sentences of up to 50 years.
