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The Observatory has been informed about the eighth and latest conviction and prison sentence of Mr Anon Nampa, a prominent pro-democracy activist and human rights lawyer who has been arbitrarily imprisoned since 26 September 2023.
On 28 May 2025, the Bangkok Criminal Court found Anon Nampa guilty
under Article 112 of Thailand’s Criminal Code (“lèse-majesté”) [1],
and sentenced him to two years in prison. This sentence is linked to a
speech he gave on 21 December 2020 at Bang Khen Police Station in
Bangkok, where he voiced support for six fellow activists who were
reporting themselves to the police in connection with a protest held on
29 November 2020. During this speech, Mr Anon advocated for the reform
of the Thai monarchy with the aim of making the institution more
transparent.
Anon Nampa denied the lèse-majesté charge, maintaining that his
remarks constituted legitimate and constructive criticism, and were
protected by his right to freedom of expression.
In recognition of his unwavering commitment to advancing and
safeguarding human rights despite facing significant threats and serious
risks to his own personal safety, on 22 May 2025, Anon Nampa was
awarded the Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk for 2025.
The latest Bangkok Criminal Court decision adds to a series of
previous convictions related to his public statements and his advocacy
for human rights and democratic reforms in Thailand.
The Observatory notes with grave concern that this marks the eighth
conviction and prison sentence of Anon Nampa under Article 112 of the
Criminal Code. All of these convictions and prison sentences have been
related to his criticism of the Thai monarchy. In addition, in March
2025, Mr Anon was found guilty by Thanyaburi Provincial Court in
Pathumthani Province and sentenced to nine months in prison for
violation of Article 116 of the Criminal Code (“sedition”) in relation
to a speech he delivered during a protest at Thammasat University
(Rangsit Campus) in Pathumthani Province. In the same month, he was also
convicted of contempt of court by the Bangkok Criminal Court over an
incident on 27 November 2024, when he took off his shirt in the
courtroom to protest the court’s unprecedented decision to hold his sixth lèse-majesté trial in secret. As a result, Mr Anon will now serve a total prison term of 24 years one month and 20 days.
At the time of publication of this Urgent Appeal, Mr Anon was still
detained the Bangkok Remand Prison, where he has been arbitrarily
imprisoned since his first lèse-majesté conviction on 26 September 2023.
The Observatory recalls that on 26 September 2023, the Criminal Court sentenced
Anon Nampa to four years in prison on one count of lèse-majesté and
imposed a fine of 20,000 baht (approximately 525 Euros) for violation of
the Emergency Decree. On 30 September 2023, the Court of Appeals
rejected Mr Anon’s request for bail, citing the severity of his sentence
and the fact that he would be a flight risk, if released on bail. On 17
January 2024, the Bangkok Criminal Court found Anon Nampa guilty of one
count of lèse-majesté and Article 14(3) of the Computer Crimes Act [2], and sentenced
him to four years in prison. On 29 April 2024, the Bangkok South
Criminal Court found Mr Anon guilty under one count of lèse-majesté and
the Emergency Decree, and sentenced
him to two years and 20 days in prison, for each count respectively. On
25 July 2024, the Bangkok Criminal Court found Anon Nampa guilty under
Article 112 of Thailand’s Criminal Code and Article 14 of the Computer
Crimes Act, and sentenced
him to four years in prison. On 3 December 2024, the Bangkok Criminal
Court found Anon Nampa guilty under Article 112 of Thailand’s Criminal
Code and Article 14 of the Computer Crimes Act and sentenced
him to two years in prison, reduced from three years because the court
deemed Mr Anon’s testimony useful to the trial. On 19 December 2024, the
Bangkok Criminal Court found Mr Anon guilty under lèse-majesté and
Article 116 (“sedition”) of Thailand’s Criminal Code, and sentenced
him to two years and eight months in prison, reduced from four years
because the court deemed Mr Anon’s testimony useful to the trial. On 27
March 2025, Anon Nampa was sentenced
by the Chiang Mai Provincial Court to two years in prison for
lèse-majesté, in connection with a speech he delivered in November 2020
in Chiang Mai Province.
The Observatory further recalls that Anon Nampa is currently facing
legal action in connection with six more lèse-majesté cases. Mr Anon was
previously arbitrarily detained
twice. From 9 February to 1 June 2021, he was detained for 113 days on
charges of lèse-majesté and sedition (Article 116 of Thailand Criminal
Code). These charges were related to a speech concerning the Thai
monarchy that he delivered during a peaceful pro-democracy protest at
Bangkok’s Sanam Luang on 19 September 2020. The second detention spanned
202 days, from 11 August 2021, to 28 February 2022, in relation to 12
additional lèse-majesté cases. His temporary release requests were
denied numerous times.
The Observatory recalls that on 30 August 2024, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) found
Anon Nampa’s detention “arbitrary” and urged the Thai government to
release him “immediately” and “accord him an enforceable right to
compensation and other reparations”, in response to a petition filed jointly by FIDH and Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) on 5 March 2024.
The Observatory notes with concern that between 19 November 2020, and
9 June 2025, 280 people, including many human rights defenders and 20
minors, were charged under Article 112 of the Criminal Code. Eighteen of
them are currently detained pending trial or appeal, and 13 more are
serving prison sentences. On 14 May 2024, youth activist “Bung” Thaluwang, arbitrarily held in pre-trial detention under “lèse-majesté”, died in custody after a prolonged hunger strike that ended in April 2024.
The Observatory strongly condemns the recent conviction, sentencing,
and continued arbitrary imprisonment of Anon Nampa, along with the
ongoing judicial harassment against him. These actions appear to be
solely aimed at punishing him for his legitimate human rights activities
and the exercise of his rights to freedom of expression and of peaceful
assembly.
The Observatory calls on the Thai authorities to immediately and
unconditionally release Mr Anon and all other arbitrarily detained human
rights defenders in the country and to put an end to all forms of
judicial harassment against them.
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