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By Sorawut Wongsaranon |
On 5 September 2014, five men were arrested and held in a military camp for questioning. Military officers claimed that they were the "Men in Black" firing war weapons on Tanao Road during the 10 April 2010 crackdown on Red Shirt protests. Although charges against them were later dismissed due to unreliable witness testimony, the men are still left in uncertainty as they have been indicted for terrorism and are to go on trial next year.
<p>The Department of Special Investigation have arrested a 46-year-old food vendor, alleging that she was part of an unknown armed group which attacked soldiers in the 2010 red-shirt protests, despite a similar charge being dismissed twice.</p>
<p>The Appeal Court has dismissed one charge against one of the ‘men in black’ suspects accused of taking part in the deadly political violence on 10 April 2010.</p> <p>On 6 September 2017, the Appeal Court confirmed the ruling of the Court of First Instance to dismiss one of the charges against Kittisak Soomsri, 47, one of the five ‘men in black’ suspects.</p> <p>The court dismissed the accusation that he illegally carried explosive devices in a car due to weak evidence, but other charges against him still stand.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The Criminal Court has freed three of the five ‘men in black’ suspects accused of taking part in the deadly political violence on 10 April 2010 after charges against them were dismissed.</p> <p>On 11 April 2017, the Criminal Court released on bail three of the five suspects indicted for possession of unauthorized and illegal weapons of war, such as M79 grenade launchers, M16 rifles, HK33 rifles and explosive devices during the violent military crackdown against red-shirt protesters on 10 April 2010.</p>
<p>A criminal court has sentenced two of five ‘men in black’ suspects accused of taking part in the deadly political violence on 10 April 2010 to 10 years imprisonment while dismissing charges against the rest.</p> <p>On 31 January 2017, the Criminal Court on Ratchadaphisek Rd., Bangkok, sentenced Kittisak Soomsri, 47, and Preecha Yooyen, 26, to 10 years imprisonment.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Prosecutors pressed another charge against one of the suspects of ‘Men in Black’, who were allegedly involved in violence during the military crackdown on red shirts on 10 April 2010.</p>
<p>The Criminal Court on Monday morning postponed for the fourth time the deposition hearing of the ‘Men in Black’ suspects, who were allegedly involved in violence during the military crackdown on red shirts on 10 April 2010, due to disagreements on the prosecution side on whether to file terrorism charges.</p>
<p>The Criminal Court on Monday postponed for the third time the deposition hearing of the ‘Men in Black’ suspects, who were allegedly involved in violence during the military crackdown on red shirts on 10 April 2010, due to disagreement on the prosecution side on whether to file terrorism charges.</p> <p>The postponement is due to a disagreement between the public prosecutor and the Department of Special Investigation, who is overseeing the investigation of the case.</p>
<p>The criminal court postponed the deposition hearing of the ‘Men in Black’ suspects, who were allegedly involved in violence during the military crackdown on redshirts on 10 April 2010 due to the lack of evidence for charges of terrorism and disagreement between the public prosecutor and the Department of Special Investigation, who is overseeing the investigation of the case. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>Five ‘men in black’ suspects accused of taking part in the deadly political violence on 10 April 2010 denied all charges that the prosecutors filed against them.</p> <p>Winyat Chatmontree, a lawyer from Free Thai Legal Aid (FTLA), stated on Monday that the five suspects known as the ‘men in black,’ charged with possession of unauthorized and illegal weapons of war, such as M79 grenade launchers, M16s, HK33s and explosive devices during the violent military crackdown on 10 April 2010 against red-shirt protesters, denied all charges filed against them by the prosecutors on Monday.</p>
By Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) |
<div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On 10 October 2014, the independent online media outlet Prachatai reported on three instances of torture of persons held in military and police custody which have taken place since the 22 May 2014 coup by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) in Thailand (Read the entire report by Prachatai in English <a href="http://prachatai.org/english/node/4395">here</a> and in Thai <a href="http://prachatai.org/journal/2014/10/55937">here</a>). </div>
<div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Five suspects, accused of being the ‘Men in Black’, recanted their confessions, and said their confessions were made under duress due to alleged torture and ill-treatment during military detention, according to their lawyer. </div>