Military prosecutor frees former political prisoner

The military prosecutor has dismissed political charges against a former lèse majesté convict accused of defying a junta order.

Bangkok Military Court on 16 October 2017 held a deposition hearing for Pruetnarin (surname withheld due to privacy concerns), a 30-year-old who was previously sentenced to 14 years and 10 months imprisonment for lèse majesté.

Pruetnarin was released from Ubon Ratchathani Central Prison on 1 September 2017 after receiving a royal pardon. However, immediately on his release he was taken to the Crime Suppression Division in Bangkok to answer an accusation of failing to report to the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) in 2014.

According to iLaw, the prosecutor decided not to indict him, citing weak evidence, so the case was dismissed.

Pruetnarin said that he was relieved, adding that he no longer has to worry about the financial problems that the case had caused his family. 

Pruetnarin (Photo from iLaw)

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