Jailed Thai lawyer wins international rights award

BANGKOK: A Thai lawyer jailed for criticising the monarchy has won an international human rights prize in recognition of his efforts to promote freedom of expression and democratic reform.

Arnon Nampa, 40, was named the Asia-Pacific recipient of this year’s Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk, becoming the first Thai national to receive the honour.

He is currently serving a 22-year prison sentence following multiple convictions under Thailand’s strict lese-majeste law, which criminalises criticism of the monarchy, as well as other offences.

In a statement, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said Arnon was recognised for “his role in promoting and protecting human rights despite facing danger and serious risks to his own personal safety”.

The Front Line Defenders Award, presented annually by the Ireland-based organisation, highlights the work of activists around the world who operate under threat.

In a letter read by a member of his family during the award ceremony in Dublin, Arnon called it “a profound honour” that gives him “strength for the road ahead”.

He described Thailand’s political repression as a generational battle against the “old order” marked by suppression of dissent.

Arnon rose to prominence during Thailand’s 2020 youth-led pro-democracy protests, where he publicly called for reform of the monarchy and military-backed government.

His taboo-breaking speeches and online posts have led to a series of convictions under lese majeste, or Section 112 of the Penal Code, which carries sentences up to 15 years in prison per offence.

TLHR says his total jail term now amounts to 22 years, and he has been in detention since September 2023, with appeals against all convictions currently pending.

In 2024 alone, he submitted at least 41 bail requests, all of which were denied.

Rights groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have condemned Arnon’s imprisonment and called for his release.

-AFP