Third lese majeste conviction brings lawyer’s term to 10 years

The court added another two years to human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa’s sentence for championing the cause of young activists rallying against the draconian lese majeste law. The rally was at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre on August 3, 2021.

The court ruled that state witnesses’ accounts showed that Arnon had defamed the Royal Family at the rally.

The court also found Arnon guilty of violating the emergency decree and the Disease Control Act, which was implemented due to Covid-19 restrictions. He was also found guilty of using an amplifier in a public place without permission.

For the lese majeste count in this case, Arnon was initially sentenced to three years in jail, which was later commuted by a third to two years as he had cooperated during the trial.

As for violating the emergency decree and the disease control law, he was initially sentenced to a month in jail, but the court reduced it to 20 days. As for using an amplifier in public, he was initially fined 150 baht, but that was later reduced to 100 baht.

The court ruled that this term would be added to the previous two terms given to him for lese majeste, which would push his total sentence to 10 years and 20 days behind bars.

Arnon has been charged over 14 lese majeste cases for a speech he delivered and Facebook comments he posted between 2020 and 2021. There are 11 more cases against him pending in court.