A Bangkok court has added nearly three more years to the prison sentence of activist attorney Arnon Nampa for speaking against Thailand's monarchy. The 41-year-old lawyer now faces over 30 years behind bars for his role in 2020 pro-democracy demonstrations that challenged royal authority.
BANGKOK – A Bangkok court has imposed an additional prison term of two years and eight months on activist attorney Arnon Nampa for making statements against Thailand’s monarchy during a November 2020 demonstration, according to a human rights organization that announced the decision Friday. This latest conviction pushes his total prison sentence beyond 30 years.
The 41-year-old Nampa played a key role in the historic youth-driven pro-democracy demonstrations that swept through Bangkok in 2020, which boldly demanded changes to the country’s monarchical system.
Thailand enforces strict lese-majeste legislation that shields the royal family from any criticism, with violators facing potential prison terms of up to 15 years for each instance of perceived disrespect toward the monarchy. International human rights organizations have widely criticized these penalties as excessive.
Nampa has remained imprisoned since September 2023 due to violations of the royal insult statute related to his public addresses at political gatherings and content he posted on social media platforms during 2020 and 2021.
The court ruling announced Friday represents the 11th conviction out of 14 total royal insult charges pending against him.
Data from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights indicates that no fewer than 291 individuals have faced lese majeste charges since 2020.
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