Thailand: Trial required against ex-prime minister for lèse-majesté

Thai prosecutors have requested a trial against former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, accused of lese majeste for nine-year-old statements, the attorney general’s spokesperson said on Wednesday.

“The attorney general has decided to indict Thaksin,” Prayuth Pecharakun announced to journalists, specifying that the former leader, aged 74, was summoned to court on June 18.

The charismatic billionaire, in power from 2001 to 2006 until being overthrown by a coup, returned to Thailand last August, after 15 years of voluntary exile to escape convictions for corruption that he considered political.

Six months of detention

He subsequently benefited from a royal pardon which reduced his time in prison from eight to one year. But he only spent a total of six months in detention, most of which was in a Bangkok hospital due to his state of health and his age.

Since his early release in February, Thaksin Shinawatra continues to animate local political life through his family party, Pheu Thai, led by his daughter Paetongtarn. The lese majeste accusations are based on statements made in 2015 during an interview in South Korea.

The lese majeste law, considered one of the harshest of its kind in the world, exposes defendants to sentences ranging from three to 15 years in prison. It can apply to actions committed outside the kingdom.

This text has been misused to stifle any protest voice for political purposes, human rights groups have denounced in recent years. Thaksin Shinawatra has long been the bête noire of the monarchy and the army, but his return has given rise to rumors of a pact with his former adversaries.

“Latest news”

Want to stay on top of the news? “Tribune de Genève” offers you two meetings per day, directly in your email box. So you don’t miss anything that’s happening in your canton, in Switzerland or around the world.To log in

AFP

Did you find an error? Please report it to us.

0 comments