A Thai court sentenced a political activist to two years in prison on Monday for insulting the monarchy, her lawyer said, after the activist was judged to have dressed as Queen Suthida during a street protest the court ruled mocked the royal family.
It is a crime in Thailand to defame or insult the king, queen, heir or regent, with punishments of up to 15 years in prison under what are among the world’s strictest “lese majeste” laws.
Jatuporn “New” Saeoueng, 25, was found guilty of intentionally mocking the monarchy by her actions during a Bangkok street protest in 2020, according to her lawyer Krisadang Nutcharat.
She is one of at least 210 activists who have been charged with royal insult in the last two years related to protests calling for reform of the monarchy, according to the legal aid group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, which tracks such cases.
