13-12-2023 (BANGKOK) Rukchanok Srinork, a Member of Parliament for Bangkok representing the Move Forward Party, faced a daunting blow as she was convicted on two counts of lese majeste, with the Criminal Court imposing a six-year jail sentence on Wednesday. The verdict, delivered at the court on Ratchadapisek Road, prompted immediate detention for Rukchanok.
Move Forward Party leader Chaithawat Tulathon swiftly responded, expressing his intent to seek Rukchanok’s release on bail pending an appeal against the ruling.
The charges against Rukchanok revolved around two alleged violations of Article 112, commonly known as the lese majeste law, and a breach of the Computer Crime Act. The alleged acts occurred between July 18 and August 9 of the previous year. Rukchanok stood accused of posting messages concerning the Covid-19 vaccine, which were deemed to demonstrate contempt and hatred towards HM the King.
Maintaining her innocence, Rukchanok, accompanied by Move Forward Party leaders, including Chaithawat and former party leader Pita Limjaroenrat, appeared in court on the first day of the new parliamentary session.
Prior to the courtroom proceedings, Rukchanok revealed that her request to postpone the verdict reading had been declined, despite her legislative duties resuming on the same day. The court, however, handed down a conviction for both Article 112 and the Computer Crime Act, choosing to apply the severest penalty under Article 112. Consequently, Rukchanok received a three-year jail term for each lese majeste count, with the court ruling against commuting the penalty or suspending the jail term.
Chaithawat, leveraging his position as the opposition leader, vowed to pursue Rukchanok’s release on bail later in the day.
Rukchanok, who secured her position as the MP for Bang Bon in Bangkok during the May 14 elections, earned acclaim as a “giant-killer” after defeating Pheu Thai heavyweight Wan Ubumrung in the polls. The six-year jail sentence adds a new layer of complexity to the ongoing debate surrounding lese majeste laws and their application in Thailand.
