Thai lawyer Arnon Nampa’s cumulative prison term exceeds 34 years after latest sentence

A Bangkok court sentenced human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa to a further two years and eight months in prison on Friday, 30 October, taking his cumulative sentences for lèse-majesté offences to more than 34 years.

The latest conviction concerns his call for public scrutiny of Thailand’s monarchy at a Harry Potter-themed demonstration in Bangkok in 2020, according to the BBC. Arnon, 42, has faced 14 cases under Article 112 of the criminal code, with verdicts in two cases still pending.

“To me, this isn’t a surprise,” he told reporters after the verdict. “If the country was more open, we would be able to talk about these issues freely.”

A speech during the 2020 protests

Arnon became a prominent voice in the student-led protest movement that challenged Thailand’s political establishment in 2020. Demonstrators initially called for an end to the military’s role in politics, before demands for changes to the monarchy became a central feature of the rallies.

Appearing dressed as Harry Potter, Arnon argued that the monarchy’s power and wealth should be open to public discussion. He criticised King Vajiralongkorn’s decision to take personal control of assets held by the Crown Property Bureau and important military units.

The speech helped bring a subject long treated as taboo into open political debate. Student-led demonstrations continued through the rest of that year, with increasingly explicit calls for reform.

Prosecutions under Article 112 resumed towards the end of 2020 after a three-year suspension, and subsequently accelerated.

Article 112 and its interpretation

Article 112 provides prison terms of three to 15 years for anyone who defames, insults or threatens the king, queen, heir-apparent or regent.

Lawyers defending people accused under the provision say its application extends beyond those named in the text. Akarachai Chaimaneekarakate, assistant director of Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, told the BBC that the meaning courts give to “defame” and “insult” is difficult to define.

“Even questioning the law itself, for example, can constitute lèse majesté under Section 112,” he said.

Thai officials have defended the legislation as reflecting the country’s culture and history, describing the monarchy as a central national institution revered by most Thai people.

The BBC reported that 294 people, including 20 under the age of 18, had been prosecuted under the law over the past six years. Sentences have reached as high as 50 years, while dozens of defendants remain on trial. It also reported that most people charged are denied bail, leaving them detained during proceedings that can last several years.

Three years in detention

Arnon has spent the past three years in Bangkok Remand Prison. During that time, he has written letters to his young daughter and son describing his separation from them.

His daughter sometimes visits him in prison, while his partner brings their three-year-old son to court hearings to see him. Arnon and his partner consider the boy too young for prison visits.

The latest sentence adds to an already lengthy cumulative term, but does not conclude the prosecutions against him: two further verdicts remain outstanding.