The Criminal Court has refused to release a human rights lawyer facing 157 years imprisonment for royal defamation and sedition.
The Criminal Court on Ratchadapisek Rd., Bangkok, on 11 May 2017, renewed the custody permission for Prawet Praphanukul, a human rights lawyer, accused of violation of the Article 112 and Article 116 of the Criminal Code, the lèse majesté law and the sedition law.
The defence lawyer representing Prawet submitted a bail request with the university lecturer position of Prawet’s friend which values about 680,000 baht as a guarantee. However, the court denied bail citing flight risk, severity of the charge, and the possibility that the suspect might intervene with evidence.
The court dismissed Prawet’s argument that he has to act as a lawyer for many ongoing cases and that under Article 14(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 11(1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.
Prawet is among the is one of six people arrested by police and military officers on 29 April 2017 before being taken to the 11 Military Circle in Bangkok.
They are accused of lèse majesté and violations of the Computer Crime Act for sharing a Facebook post about the missing 1932 revolution plaque posted by Somsak Jeamteerasakul, an academic currently living in self-imposed exile in France.
The rest are: Saran, a 54-year-old university lecturer, Chatchawan, a 24-year-old law student, Danai, a 34-year-old man from Chiang Mai, Wanchai, a 42-year-old man, and Paneet, a 26-year-old secondary school teacher. The surnames of the five are withheld due to privacy concerns.
According to the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, unlike other suspects, Prawet allegedly posted Facebook status saying that Thailand should become a republic. The lawyer could receive up to 157 years in prison if found guilty, as he faces 10 counts of lèse majesté and violations of the sedition law.
Prawet was a defence lawyer for Daranee Charnchoengsilpakul, aka Da Torpedo, an anti-establishment red shirt, who was imprisoned for eight years for making public speeches deemed defamatory to the Thai monarchy in 2008.
He usually posted messages critical of the Thai military government and the use of the lèse majesté law.
Prawet Praphanukul, a human rights lawyer