A Thai court has handed down suspended sentences to former prime ministerial candidate Pita Rimjaroenrat and seven other politicians for holding an illegal assembly in 2019.
The case comes after the country’s Constitutional Court ruled last week that the party had undermined the monarchy and national security in its campaign to change the law that protects the monarchy from criticism. This further increases the legal difficulties faced.
Forward, a young, progressive party, won the most votes and seats in last year’s election with promises to reform the military, dismantle big business monopolies and revise lese majeste laws. However, the party’s bid to take power was blocked by unelected senators who were considered part of the military royalist forces. The party’s liberal policies and strong appeal among young and urban voters are seen as a threat to Thailand’s status quo.
On Monday, a Bangkok district court sentenced six key figures from Move Forward’s now-defunct Future Forward Party (FFP) to four months in prison, suspended for two years. Two other activists were also sentenced.
The charges are related to 2019 protests led by the Future Forward Party to urge reform and call for former Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to resign. The case concerns a 40-minute protest at a major Bangkok intersection on December 14, months before a court decided to dissolve FFP, of which Pita was a member.
“The court ruled that the protest was organized without a permit, public spaces were closed, and took place within 150 meters of Pathumwan Palace,” lawyer Krisadan Nootjaras told AFP.
All eight of those convicted, including businessman Thanathorn Juangrunruangkit and lawmaker Piyabutr Sengkhanokkul, plan to appeal their sentences, their lawyers said.
Pita, a former leader of Move Forward, recently returned to parliament but could be disqualified from parliament if his appeal is rejected and the court upholds the ruling. Under Thai law, people convicted of serious crimes are not allowed to serve as members of parliament.
The party now faces possible dissolution and the expulsion of its leaders from politics after lawyers and opponents launched further legal challenges following last week’s Constitutional Court ruling.
Lèse-majesté and criticism of the royal family have long been taboo in Thailand, but large-scale youth-led protests erupted in 2020 demanding changes to the role of the monarchy, including an end to lese-majesté. The protests dwindled after authorities launched a legal crackdown and charged key protest leaders.
Since then, more than 260 people, including children, have been charged with lese majeste (also known as Article 112 of the Penal Code). Anyone can bring a lawsuit, and the law is widely interpreted.
Last year, a court sentenced a man who sold a satirical calendar featuring a cartoon rubber duck to two years’ imprisonment for defaming the king. Another activist was sentenced to two years in prison in 2022 for wearing a costume that was deemed to be mocking the Queen. Both men are currently out on bail while appealing their convictions.
Reuters and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report
