The Thai government has dropped a case against a Hong Kong photojournalist who was arrested last year for possessing a bulletproof vest and a helmet, which are considered weapons in Thailand, two court officials said Tuesday.
The government filed for withdrawing the charges against Hok Chun Anthony Kwan on December 30, 2015, in the Samut Prakan provincial court where he was on trial, the court’s officials said.
Kwan accepted the government stance and the court ended the case on January 29, they said.
The officials cannot be identified under court protocol. It was not clear what prompted the change of heart in the government, which had faced criticism for punishing Kwan for possessing items that journalists routinely carry in dangerous situations.
Kwan, a dual national of Canada and Hong Kong, was detained when he was about to board a plane on August 23 after covering the aftermath of a deadly bomb explosion at a shrine in Bangkok.