Thai Man Sentenced to 50-Year Prison Term for Insulting Monarchy

A man in Thailand has been given the harshest sentence ever under the country's lese majeste law for making defamatory comments about the monarchy. Mongkol Thirakot, 30, was initially given a 28-year sentence for posts he made on Facebook three years ago. However, the appeals court added an additional 22 years, resulting in a total of 50 years in prison. The lese majeste law criminalizes any negative comments about the monarchy and has faced widespread criticism. Despite the election of a civilian government last year, the law is still in effect. The judge mentioned multiple comments made by Thirakot on Facebook as the reason behind the severe sentence. This law was briefly suspended in 2019 but has been reintroduced and heavily utilized since student-led protests began three years ago, demanding reforms to the monarchy. Another activist and lawyer, Arnon Nampa, also had his jail time increased by four years for calling for a public discussion about the monarchy. The Constitutional Court is also set to rule on whether to dissolve the Move Forward party in January due to its push to amend the lese majeste law, which some conservative Thai citizens view as an attempt to overthrow the political order.