Thai activist sentenced to 46 years for Facebook posts
Thai activist, Mongkol Thirakhot, or Busbas, has been sentenced to 46 years in prison by the Supreme Court for his social media posts. The final ruling was delivered yesterday, December 11, at Chiang Rai Provincial Court.
Mongkol is a 32 year old former clothing seller turned political activist who is convicted under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, known as the lèse-majesté law, and the Computer Crime Act. The charges stem from 27 Facebook posts made between March and April 2021, which authorities ruled violated the monarchy.
The case has now reached its conclusion, with the court upholding a prison term of 46 years, without suspension. Previously, the Appeals Court Region 5 had sentenced Mongkol to 50 years, also without suspension, which led to him being held in detention for 694 days without bail until the Supreme Court’s final verdict yesterday.
His arrest followed a hunger strike outside the Criminal Court in April 2021, during which he had called for bail rights for political prisoners. Originally, he was charged in two separate cases: one case was for 25 Facebook posts, and the other was for two posts. Later, the court combined both cases.
The trial was conducted via camera to prevent public attendance to proceedings. Mongkol admitted to making all the posts but argued that his actions did not violate Section 112.
According to Amnesty International Thailand, critics say the sentence reflects the ongoing issues with Thailand’s legality around freedom of expression. They argue that laws such as Section 112 and the Computer Crime Act are often applied in ways that are out of proportion with the offence, especially in cases involving peaceful expression.
Mongkol’s long pre-trial detention without bail has also raised some eyebrows over Thailand’s compliance with international human rights standards. The denial of bail for nearly two years, advocates say, violates the presumption of innocence, a right guaranteed under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Thailand is obligated to respect.
Human rights activists are calling for a review of laws used to criminalise expression, and for Thai authorities to end the use of extreme punishments against individuals peacefully exercising their rights. They are also urging the government to guarantee bail access in all cases involving the use of basic freedoms.
In a similar incident, Arnon Nampa, Thailand’s most prominent human rights lawyer, has been slapped with yet another prison sentence, adding to his already staggering time behind bars for challenging the monarchy.
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