Thai singer ‘Tom Dundee’ given rare acquittal in royal defamation case ... but he is still in jail
Thanat Thanawatcharanont was arrested in 2014 and hit with four counts of lèse-majesté
A Thai court acquitted a folk singer turned activist of his third royal defamation charge on Thursday, a rare ruling under a draconian law that is used to shield the royal family from any criticism.
Thanat Thanawatcharanont, better known by his stage name “Tom Dundee”, was arrested in 2014 and hit with four counts of lèse-majesté.
The law carries up to 15 years in prison per offence and effectively protects Thailand’s ultra-rich and powerful monarchy from public scrutiny.
Thanat, 59, has been convicted of two of the charges and is still serving a nearly 11-year sentence.
But Bangkok’s criminal court dismissed his third case on Thursday, which was levelled over a speech he gave at a political rally in 2011.
“After deliberation of the indictment details it’s not sufficiently clear that the defendant has insulted monarchy,” the verdict said.