Piyarat “Toto” Chongthep was accused of installing a placard criticising the King in Kalasin province, in 2021. - Photo: AFP
BANGKOK: A Thai court on Friday (Oct 11) cleared an opposition MP of violating a royal defamation law, a lawyers’ group said, in a rare example of acquittal on lese majeste charges in the kingdom.
Piyarat “Toto” Chongthep was accused of installing a placard criticising the Thai King in Kalasin province, north-east of the capital, Bangkok, in 2021.
A court in Kalasin on Oct 11 dismissed the case against the People’s Party MP on grounds of insufficient evidence, according to the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) group.
“The court gave the defendant the benefit of the doubt,” it said on X.
Piyarat was still expected to face a further two royal defamation charges, TLHR said on X.
Acquittals on royal defamation charges are rare in Thailand, an information officer at TLHR told AFP.
Piyarat hailed the decision.
“The court has made the decision, there was not enough evidence to show that I was there at the scene,” he told AFP.
Thailand’s monarchy is protected from any criticism by a lese majeste law, with each offence punishable by up to 15 years in jail.
Critics say the government has used the legislation to silence dissent.
More than 270 people have been prosecuted for lese majeste since 2020, according to TLHR.
In September, a court sentenced pro-democracy activist Jatupat Boonpattararaksa to three years on a royal insult charge.
In July, another democracy activist Parit Chiwarak was sentenced to two years in prison on the same charge. - AFP
