The Taling Chan Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for activist Chukiat Sangwong after he missed a court hearing following an accident, claiming that it believes he is trying to delay the case by refusing to come to court.

A new report by the CIVICUS Monitor rates civic space in Thailand as 'repressed,' as the royal defamation law continues to be used to criminalise dissent and spyware has been used against activists. Protesters were also prosecuted and faced excessive force while concerns remain about a restrictive NGO bill. 

A 23-year-old student has been sentenced to 2 years in prison for royal defamation and violation of the Computer Crimes Act, after the Criminal Court ruled that although the royal defamation law does not explicitly state that it covers only the current king, defaming King Bhumibol is still an offence under the law as it affects King Vajiralongkorn.

<p>A 38-year-old indigenous Karen man from Mae Hong Son has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for royal defamation and sedition over 4 Facebook posts and denied bail.</p>

<p>Two protesters arrested on Thursday (9 March) and charged with royal defamation and contempt of court for singing and speaking at a protest in July 2022 have been denied bail.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A 26-year-old man has been found guilty and sentenced to 2 years in prison on a royal defamation charge for selling a rubber duck calendar, after the Taling Chan Criminal Court ruled that the depiction of the rubber duck was a mockery of the King.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Criminal Court has refused to repeal an order blocking an online petition for the repeal of the royal defamation law, claiming that the website contains a phrase that is a distortion of fact.</p>

<p>Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) has shared data of cases under the military government, when security forces brought cases related to violent political incidents dating back to 2010 using special laws, like Martial Law, announcements and orders issued on the authority of constitutions written by the military government themselves. People were arrested and interrogated in military camps before being transferred to both military courts and the courts of justice for prosecution.</p>

<p>Leader of the far-right Thai Pakdee Party has displayed an official letter from parliament on his Facebook page, announcing that his request to collect signatures to propose an amendment to Section 112 of the Criminal Code has been authorized.</p>

<p>A 14-year-old girl became the youngest person to be charged with royal defamation after she received a police summons following a complaint filed against her by a royalist activist.</p>

<p>ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) urges the Thai government to listen to the demands of two hunger striking activists and amend the&nbsp;lèse-majesté, or royal defamation, law.&nbsp;</p>