Wednesday, December 14, 2016

New Thai king pardons 150,000 prisoners – including some jailed for insulting royal family...

The new king of Thailand will pardon up to 150,000 prisoners in an unprecedented display of mercy, including some inmates jailed for insulting the royal family.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn, who assumed power after his father Bhumibol Adulyadej died in October, will allow thousands of prisoners to be released or have their sentences shortened, with each case being assessed individually according to state officials.

Those jailed for insulting the king and his family, which carries a sentence of up to 15 years in prison under section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code, will be considered for release alongside prisoners convicted of drug offences.

“This is the first opportunity since his majesty’s ascension to show his mercy,” the royal family said in a statement. “This will provide a chance for these individuals to behave as good citizens.”

The 2014 coup d’etat in Thailand saw the largest amount of people jailed for insulting royalty in the nation’s history, including one man who was jailed for 60 years. Full story...

Related posts:
  1. Thailand presses Google over online royal insults...
  2. Many in Thailand want a princess to ascend to...
  3. Thailand looks to likely future king with apprehension...
  4. Thailand's Crown Prince promotes his dog to air chief ...
  5. Facebook user in Thailand faces 32 years in prison for ...
  6. 2 detainees suspected of insulting monarchy die in custody...
  7. Jailed for 30 years in Thailand for insulting the monarchy on .

No comments:

Post a Comment