Thailand jails woman for more than 43 years for insulting monarchy
- Anchan, whose last name was withheld by human rights lawyers to protect her relatives, was convicted on 29 counts of lese majeste
- The court halved her original sentence of 87 years because she had confessed, according to the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights group
A Thai woman accused of insulting the royal family was jailed Tuesday for more than 43 years, a legal rights group said, the harshest punishment ever handed out under the country’s strict lese majeste laws.
Ostensibly meant to shield the royal family from defamation, insults or threats, section 112 of the penal code is routinely interpreted to include any criticism of the monarchy.
On Tuesday, Anchan – whose last name was withheld by human rights lawyers to protect her relatives – was convicted on 29 counts of lese majeste and given a total of 87 years in prison.
02:37
Thai demonstrators gather near UN office calling for action against royal insult law
The court halved her sentence because she had confessed, according to the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights group, which tracks royal defamation cases.
Anchan, a former civil servant, was first arrested in 2015 after being linked to underground podcast host known as “DJ Banpodj”, a fiery critic of the monarchy.