Thaksin Shinawatra Acquitted in Lèse-Majesté Case

Brickinfo News Agency – Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been acquitted of charges under Article 112 of the Criminal Code and the Computer Crimes Act. The Criminal Court delivered a “not guilty” verdict, concluding a case that stemmed from an interview Thaksin gave to a South Korean newspaper in 2015. The interview’s content was alleged to have made statements concerning the monarchy, leading to the charges.

The case originated during the rule of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), the military junta that took power in the 2014 coup. Thaksin had previously claimed that the charges were the result of pressure from the military, which wanted him prosecuted. The Office of the Attorney General eventually indicted him on June 18, 2024, after his return to Thailand and subsequent release on parole.

With the court’s verdict, Thaksin’s travel restrictions have been lifted. He had been prohibited from traveling abroad for the past year while the case was being considered by the Criminal Court. The acquittal now allows him to leave the country.