Thai Court Extends Human Rights Lawyer Arnon Nampa’s Prison Term to Over 34 Years
Thai court adds 2 years, 8 months to activist Arnon Nampa’s sentence, pushing total imprisonment to over 34 years for lèse‑majesté convictions.
POLICY WIRE — Bangkok, Thailand — A Thai criminal court increased the prison time for pro‑democracy lawyer Arnon Nampa, raising his cumulative sentence to more than 34 years.
The Bangkok court found Nampa and four co‑defendants guilty of insulting the monarchy during a protest on 25 November 2020 outside Siam Commercial Bank headquarters.
Each was initially handed a four‑year term, which the judges later trimmed to two years and eight months because their testimony proved partially helpful, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.
This verdict adds to the 13 earlier cases filed against Nampa, with two still awaiting judgment; the added time lifts his total confinement from 31 years, nine months to over 34 years.
Lawyer Krisadang Nutcharut noted that three of the five sentenced individuals were already serving earlier convictions.
Nampa, 42, has been behind bars since 2023 on charges linked to his protest involvement and online activity.
During the 2020 rally he urged greater transparency about the transfer of Siam Commercial Bank shares managed by the Crown Property Bureau, which holds the royal family’s assets; King Maha Vajiralongkorn holds a 23.6% stake in the bank’s parent SCBx.
Krisadang said the lèse‑majesté law now functions as a political tool against opponents.
After the ruling, Nampa said the outcome did not surprise him. “If the country was more open, we would be able to talk about these issues freely,” he told reporters.
Article 112 of Thailand’s criminal code criminalizes defamation or insult toward the king, queen, heir‑apparent or regent, imposing three to fifteen years in prison.
Officials claim the statute mirrors Thai cultural reverence for the monarchy, while critics argue it suppresses dissent; more than 290 people have faced prosecution under the article since 2020, including 20 minors, with sentences reaching 50 years.
Nampa first entered the spotlight during the youth‑led 2020 protests that demanded reforms to the military‑drafted constitution and the monarchy; at one August rally he delivered a speech dressed as a fictional wizard, calling for scrutiny of the throne.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
