Activist Parit Chiwarak has been accused of royal defamation for posting a critique of a Constitutional Court ruling that former Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha had not violated the constitution by continuing to live in army housing after his retirement.

Activists and politicians, including former PM candidate Pita Limjaroenrat, former Future Forward members and other 3 individuals, have been sentenced to four months in prison over a 2019 flash mob protest. The sentence was suspended for two years.

<p>Thailand should dismiss the case against 22 protest leaders charged with insulting the monarchy and a range of public order offences, and adhere to its international human rights obligations, the Clooney Foundation for Justice (CFJ) and TrialWatch Expert the Honourable Kevin Bell AM KC stated.</p>

<p>As the fate remains unknown of Wanchalearm Satsaksit, an activist in self-imposed exile in Cambodia who was abducted in 2020, his sister and activists campaigning for justice in his case moved closer to being jailed after the latest court ruling in favour of strict enforcement of the Emergency Decree to control Covid-19.</p>

<p>Although it&rsquo;s now common for royal insult defendants to be freed on bail, their freedom often comes with vague conditions like bans on joining protests that could lead to &ldquo;chaos&rdquo; or doing anything that &ldquo;damages&rdquo; the monarchy. Experts question whether these conditions may violate the rights to free expression.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On 18 February, Chulalongkorn University (CU) vice rector Chaiyaporn Puprasert issued a letter announcing disciplinary action against Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal and Pitchakorn Roeksomphong, the president and first vice president of the CU student government. &nbsp;The action included removing Netiwit office.</p>

<p>Activist and human rights lawyer Anon Nampa remains in detention, after he was denied bail by the South Bangkok Criminal Court despite being granted bail by other courts, while student activist Parit Chiwarak was released yesterday (24 February 2022) after his lawyer presented evidence of his enrolment at Thammasat University.</p>

<p>Despite the recent release of Jatupat Boonpattararaksa and Panupong Jadnok, two leading figures in the pro-democracy movement, at least nine other activists are still in jail pending trial, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reports.</p>

<p>In a statement issued on Monday&nbsp;(27 December), the lawyer of activists Parit Chiwarak, Panupong Jadnok, Anon Nampa, and Jatupat Boonpattararaksa announced that his clients will not be filing another bail request, having been denied bail again last Friday (24 December).</p>

<p>Activists and protesters gathered in front of the Bangkok Remand Prison on Sunday evening (26 December) to celebrate student activist Panupong Jadnok&rsquo;s birthday, after he was denied bail along with 3 other activists last Friday (24 December).</p>

<p>Protest leaders Parit Chiwarak, Anon Nampa, Panupong Jadnok and Jatupat Boonpattararaksa were again denied bail, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR).&nbsp; The four have already spent 3-4 months in jail pending trial.</p>

<p>On 26 November 2021, a law NGO Destination Justice has&nbsp;filed an Urgent Action to the United Nations&rsquo; Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on behalf of Thai activists&nbsp;Parit &#39;Penguin&#39;&nbsp;Chiwarak&nbsp; and Panusaya &#39;Rung&#39; Sithijirawattanakul.&nbsp;</p>