Thai court denies bail for lawyer who called for monarchy reforms

FILE PHOTO: Arnon Nampa, a prominent activist and former human rights lawyer, speaks to media ahead of a Thai criminal court's verdict in a case of allegedly having insulted the monarchy, at the criminal court in Bangkok, Thailand, September 26, 2023. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo

BANGKOK (Reuters) - A Thai court denied bail on Saturday for an activist lawyer sentenced to four years in prison for royal insults, his lawyer said, in one of the Southeast Asian country's highest-profile lese-majeste cases.

Human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa, 39, is widely known for a speech during pro-democracy protests in 2020 when he broke taboos by calling for public debate on the role of Thailand's powerful king. Arnon denies wrongdoing.