A Thai court on Monday sentenced activist Jatuporn Sae-ung to two years in prison for defaming the monarchy by posing as Queen Suthida during a protest in October 2020, her lawyers said.
Suthida Tidjai is the queen consort of the Thai monarch, Maha Vajiralongkorn.
Jatuporn Sae-ung paraded down one of the main avenues of Bangkok dressed in a pink silk suit and a small gold bag, during one of the several demonstrations organized by young university students to demand a deep democratic reform in the country, including in the House Thai royal.
A spokesman for the non-governmental organization (NGO) Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) confirmed to the Efe news agency that the southern court in Bangkok reduced the defendant’s sentence from three to two years in prison for collaborating with the judicial system in his statements.
The conviction is the latest in a wide-ranging judicial campaign launched by the authorities to quell the pro-democracy movement, which sparked mass protests in the mid-2020s and succeeded in opening public debate about the role of Thailand’s powerful monarchy. in today’s society.
Article 112 of the Thai Penal Code establishes penalties of three to 15 years in prison for anyone who defames, insults or threatens the king, queen or crown prince.
King Vajiralongkorn, who ascended the throne in October 2016 after the death of his father, King Bhumibol, did not inherit the popularity of his father, who reigned for seven decades and was revered by many Thais as the father of the nation and virtually a semi-divine figure. .
Some 200 people, including minors, have been accused of lese majesty in the last 18 months, according to data from the TLHR organization.
Source: TSF
