Thailand’s Criminal Court acquitted on Thursday political figure and founder of the Progressive Movement Party Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit of charges of defaming the monarchy, arising from comments he had made in 2021 criticizing the government’s procurement of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The court ruled that Juangroongruangkit’s criticisms were directed at then-Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s management of vaccine procurement, not at the monarchy, and hence did not constitute lèse-majesté violations under Section 112 of the Criminal Code. Section 112, or the lèse-majesté law, criminalizes insults and threats towards the king, queen, and heirs to the Thai throne with sentences ranging from three to fifteen
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