Thai protest leader Arnon Nampa's jail term passes 34 years after new conviction

A Thai court on Friday convicted jailed human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa on a further count of lese majeste. His combined prison terms now exceed 34 years, CNA and The Straits Times reported, both carrying AFP copy.

The two outlets give two figures for the new sentence. Their opening lines, citing a rights group, say the court added two years to his term. Further down, both reports cite campaign group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, which said in a Facebook post that Arnon and four others were sentenced to two years and eight months.

Arnon, 42, became prominent during the youth-led protests of 2020. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets that year calling for reform of the monarchy and of the military-drafted constitution. He has been in jail since 2023 on multiple royal insult convictions linked to the protests and his social media posts.

The lese majeste law shields the Thai royal family from criticism. Critics say it is used to muzzle dissent.

Krisadang Nutcharut, a lawyer representing Arnon, confirmed the ruling to AFP. He said the latest charges stem from a 2020 protest in front of the Siam Commercial Bank headquarters. According to Krisadang, Arnon was calling for more transparency over a transfer of shares in the bank, Thailand's oldest, from the Crown Property Bureau.

King Vajiralongkorn is the largest shareholder in SCBx, the bank's parent company, with a 23.6 per cent stake, according to the SCBx website.

Krisadang said three of the five people sentenced on Friday were already serving separate royal insult sentences. He also put Arnon's total at more than 34 years.

"It is now clear that the law has become a political tool used against opponents," he told AFP.

Sources: The Straits Times, Thailand extends activist’s jail term to more than 34 years; CNA, Thailand extends activist's jail term to more than 34 years.