(27 May 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pathum Thani, Thailand – 27 May 2024
1. Wide of lawmaker and former protest leader Chonthicha Jangrew (centre) posing for photo at court with supporters
2. Wide of photographer
3. Wide of Jangrew eating food with supporters and fellow Move Forward Party members including leader Chaithawat Tulathon
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARCHIVE: Bangkok, Thailand – 14 October 2020
4. Wide of protest, people marching
5. Jangrew walking at front of protest
6. Wide of Jangrew facing police at barrier
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARCHIVE: Bangkok, Thailand – 26 October 2020
++NIGHT SHOTS++
7. Wide of protesters marching
8. Jangrew addressing crowd via speaker
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pathum Thani, Thailand – 17 April 2023
9. Various of Jangrew, speaking to market sellers as she campaigns to become elected as lawmaker for area in upcoming election
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pathum Thani, Thailand – 27 May 2024
10. Wide of Jangrew arriving at news conference alongside party leader Tulathon
11. Journalist and camera
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Chonthicha Jangrew, lawmaker and former protest leader:
“For today it doesn’t matter what’s going to happen today, doesn’t matter at the end what the result of the case will come out, I will never regret what I did before.”
13. Various of Jangrew walking towards court building
14. Wide of court building
15. Jangrew smiling after she was granted bail
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARCHIVE: Bangkok, Thailand – 14 October 2020
16. Wide of King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida with crowd of royal fans
STORYLINE:
A Thai court on Monday sentenced a lawmaker from a progressive opposition party to two years in prison after finding her guilty of defaming the monarchy in a speech she made during a protest rally three years ago.
Chonthicha Jangrew of the Move Forward Party was greeted by several supporters when she arrived at the Thanyaburi Provincial Court in Pathum Thani province, north of Bangkok, with some party colleagues. Chonthicha, popularly known by her nickname “Lookkate,” represents a constituency in Pathum Thani.
Her charges stemmed from her speech in 2021 that demanded the release of all political prisoners during a rally in front of the same court that delivered Monday’s sentence.
She was found guilty for parts of the speech concerning how the government then led by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha had amended laws to give King Vajiralongkorn more power to control the palace wealth, which is managed by the Crown Property Bureau.
The judge said her speech could misinform the public by suggesting that King Vajiralongkorn can spend taxpayers’ money for his personal use and use his influence to interfere with politics, which could tarnish his reputation.
The judge originally sentenced her to three years in prison, but reduced it to two years because of her cooperation in the trial. The law for defaming the monarchy, an offense known as lese majeste, carries a penalty of three to 15 years imprisonment. It is widely referred to as Article 112 from its place in the Criminal Code.
Chonthicha was afterwards released on bail of 150,000 baht ($4,100). Had bail not been granted and she been sent directly to prison, she would have immediately been removed from her seat in Parliament.
She told reporters that she wasn’t surprised about the verdict as the majority of 112 charges led to convictions.
She said she will appeal, adding that she was glad to have been granted release on bail but wished that other political prisoners were given the same right.
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