Rights Group Slams 87-Year Prison Sentence Given To Thai Woman For Insulting Monarchy

A prominent rights group has slammed the Thai authorities for handing out an 87-year prison sentence to a woman on charges of insulting the monarchy, the longest term given to an individual for lese-majeste

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2021) A prominent rights group has slammed the Thai authorities for handing out an 87-year prison sentence to a woman on charges of insulting the monarchy, the longest term given to an individual for lese-majeste.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Criminal Court of Thailand sentenced the woman, named Anchan P., to consecutive three-year sentences for 29 lese-majeste offenses after she was accused of sharing and uploading clips of an online talk show that contained insulting comments about the Thai monarchy.

"This shocking case is yet another serious assault on Thailand's vanishing space for freedom of expression," Amnesty International's Asia-Pacific Regional Director, Yamini Mishra, said in a press release.

According to the rights group, the woman was first arrested in January 2015 and was held until November 2018 until she was released on bail. During the trial, she pleaded guilty to the charges.

"Anchan has already faced appalling treatment since being arrested in 2015, including pre-trial detention for years, some of which incommunicado," the rights group said.

The Thai authorities began to pursue lese-majeste convictions this past November, after two years with no new charges being brought, amid a sustained wave of anti-government protests.

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on Monday expressed concern about the lese-majeste charges filed against 35 protesters over recent weeks.