Thai Human Rights Lawyer's Total Sentence Reaches 38 Years After Calling for "Monarchy Reform"
Sentenced to 2 years and 8 months in prison for insulting the monarchy
Figure who led 2020 anti-government protests
A human rights lawyer who led anti-government protests in Thailand and called for reforms to the monarchy has received an additional prison sentence for lèse-majesté. His total prison sentence to date amounts to 38 years.
According to AFP and Thailand's Bangkok Post on November 1, local time, a Thai court recently sentenced human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa, 41, to two years and eight months in prison on a lèse-majesté charge. His cumulative prison sentence has now risen to 38 years; he has been incarcerated since 2023.
Arnon was charged with lèse-majesté after leading anti-government protests in Bangkok in 2020 and publicly calling for reforms to the monarchy. At the time, public criticism of the royal family had long been taboo in Thailand.
In recognition of his contributions to Thailand's pro-democracy movement, he was also selected in 2021 to receive the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights, awarded by South Korea's May 18 Memorial Foundation. Immediately after the sentencing, Arnon's lawyer criticized the decision, saying, "The lèse-majesté law has become a political tool for suppressing opposition forces."
Section 112 of Thailand's Criminal Code stipulates a maximum prison sentence of 15 years for insulting members of the royal family, including the king, queen, and heir to the throne. According to the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, 285 people, including minors, have been charged with lèse-majesté since November 2020.
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Meanwhile, Thailand's 2020 anti-government protests began after the Constitutional Court dissolved the Future Forward Party (FFP), which had the support of many young people at the time. The protests later grew into large-scale demonstrations calling for monarchy reform, the prime minister's resignation, and constitutional amendments.
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