Dismissed sedition case resurfaces online amid political turmoil in Thailand
- This article is more than one year old.
- Published on August 24, 2023 at 08:20
- 2 min read
- By Panisa AEMOCHA, AFP Thailand
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"Arrest warrant for 12 leaders for treason," reads a Thai-language post featuring the image that was shared on Facebook on June 25.
"What are the police doing since the army has already filed charges?" its caption says.
Among the 12 individuals pictured in the post is opposition figure Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, ex-leader of the dissolved Future Forward Party that has since been reborn as the Move Forward Party (MFP).
The reformist MFP won the most seats in May but saw its leader denied the prime minister spot by conservative, pro-military forces.
Thai lawmakers elected tycoon Srettha Thavisin on August 22 despite his Pheu Thai party coming second in the vote, ending three months of political deadlock.
Others in the image include academic Chalita Bundhuwong and activist Rukchart Suwan.
The entire group had been charged with sedition in 2019 after holding a public seminar in Thailand's deep south about amending the kingdom's military drafted constitution.
The image was also shared with a similar claim on Facebook and TikTok, with one video attracting more than 15,000 likes.
"Are the police not available or not brave enough (to arrest them)?" read one comment.
"Congratulations. Before entering the parliament, they will probably go to jail first," said another.
Case dropped
However, legal proceedings against the 12 individuals pictured in the posts were dropped on November 16, 2022, a spokesperson for Thailand's Special Prosecutor's Office told AFP.
No further legal proceedings will be initiated against the 12 defendants on this case, the spokesperson said on August 15.
Under the Thai Criminal Procedure Code, a final non-prosecution order means the defendants "shall be prohibited to be re-inquired" unless there is fresh evidence in the case (archived link).
No reports indicate they had been recently charged with treason.
Chalita Bundhuwong, a professor at Kasetsart University's Faculty of Social Sciences and one of the 12 defendants, told AFP on August 10 that "the attorney has the verdict to not sue".
She referred AFP to a post on her official Facebook page which included the official dismissal against the group (archived link).
In the screenshot of the dismissal letter from the Prosecutor General's Office, part of the second paragraph reads: "The Prosecutor General communicates the non-prosecution order to you and others, 12 people in total."
The Special Prosecutor's Office confirmed with AFP the non-presecution order dated November 16, 2022 is official.
Rukchart Suwan separately told AFP on August 10 that he "had received the case non-prosecution letter".
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