People’s Party MP sentenced to 4 years for lese majeste, appeals
Chonthicha faces jail time after court finds posts violated national security laws
A People’s Party MP has been sentenced to over two years in prison for lese majeste, with the court ruling she violated laws regarding defamation of the monarchy.
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Chonthicha Jangrew, a People’s Party MP for Pathum Thani, has been handed a prison sentence of two years and eight months for lese majeste, following allegations of defaming the monarchy. The sentence comes after the Criminal Court found her guilty of violating Section 112 of the Criminal Code and Section 4 of the Computer Crime Act.
Prosecutors accused Chonthicha of posting defamatory content on her Facebook page on November 8, 2020. The posts, according to the charges, insulted the monarchy, incited social conflict, and posed a threat to national security. Chonthicha, however, denied the allegations, claiming that her posts were protected under her constitutional right to free expression.
“The posts were intended to exercise my right to free speech and were not meant to defame the monarchy.”
Despite her defence, the court found sufficient evidence to confirm that Chonthicha owned the Facebook page in question and authored the posts. The court ruled that the posts went beyond the acceptable limits of free speech and were deemed defamatory.
“While constitutional freedoms are important, they must not infringe upon the rights and dignity of others.”
As a result, Chonthicha was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison. This sentence is added to a separate two-year sentence handed down in 2021 for a protest speech criticising former Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, according to Bangkok Post.
With these sentences combined, Chonthicha now faces a total of four years and eight months in prison.
In a move that could delay her imprisonment, the Appeal Court granted Chonthicha conditional bail set at 300,000 baht while she appeals the lese majeste conviction.
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