Arnon Nampa, a prominent Thai political activist and human rights lawyer, has been sentenced to four years in prison for alleged royal defamation under Thailand’s lese-majeste law. The charges stem from comments he made during a protest in October 2020.
This law imposes strict penalties for insulting the monarchy. Arnon Nampa was the first activist to publicly call for a national conversation on the monarchy’s role in contemporary Thailand.
His conviction follows months of debate about the lese-majeste law, with calls for its amendment by progressive groups. However, the law remains unchanged, and public discussions on the monarchy are discouraged in the country.