The criminal court sentenced two theater activists to five years in prison for taking parts in a political play "The Wolf Bride" deemed lese majeste, but since the defendant pleaded guilty, the jail term was halved to two years and six months.
The court earlier set to read the verdict at 1.30 of Monday. After rights groups have campaigned for weeks, inviting people to attend the verdict reading in the afternoon, the court on Monday decided to read the verdict in the morning instead. The lawyer representing both was not notified about the change and arrived the courtroom just in time. About 60 people packed the court room before the court read the verdict around 11.30am. Representatives from embassies and the United Nations also attended.
The court spent less than five minutes reading the verdict.
Last month, Patiwat S. (aka Bank) and Pornthip M. (aka Golf), pleaded guilty to the court for taking parts in a political play The Wolf Bride, which was performed in October 2013 at Thammasat University, Bangkok, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the 14 October popular uprising.
When pleading guilty, the defendants asked the court to suspend the jail terms, giving that one of them is still a university student and that they have never committed crimes.
The court ruled not to suspend jail term, saying that although the defendants have clean background, but their crime which is “co-organizing a play which falsely claimed, insulted, and threatened the monarchy to a large number of audience” is severe.
“The justice has died,” the father of Patiwat told Prachatai, adding that he had hoped that his son will get suspended jail term, but “Now his future is just jeopardized.”
After the court session ended, about 10 activists Sang Dao Hang Sattha, composed by Chit Phumisak, the belated revolutionary icon from 1960s, to give moral support to Patiwat and Pornthip. They also flashed the three-fingered salute, the anti-coup gesture.
The criminal court sentenced two theater activists to five years in prison for taking parts in a political play "The Wolf Bride" deemed lese majeste, but since the defendant pleaded guilty, the jail term was halved to two years and six months.
The court earlier set to read the verdict at 1.30 of Monday. After rights groups have campaigned for weeks, inviting people to attend the verdict reading in the afternoon, the court on Monday decided to read the verdict in the morning instead. The lawyer representing both was not notified about the change and arrived the courtroom just in time. About 60 people packed the court room before the court read the verdict around 11.30am. Representatives from embassies and the United Nations also attended.
The court spent less than five minutes reading the verdict.
Last month, Patiwat S. (aka Bank) and Pornthip M. (aka Golf), pleaded guilty to the court for taking parts in a political play The Wolf Bride, which was performed in October 2013 at Thammasat University, Bangkok, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the 14 October popular uprising.
When pleading guilty, the defendants asked the court to suspend the jail terms, giving that one of them is still a university student and that they have never committed crimes.
The court ruled not to suspend jail term, saying that although the defendants have clean background, but their crime which is “co-organizing a play which falsely claimed, insulted, and threatened the monarchy to a large number of audience” is severe.
“The justice has died,” the father of Patiwat told Prachatai, adding that he had hoped that his son will get suspended jail term, but “Now his future is just jeopardized.”
After the court session ended, about 10 activists Sang Dao Hang Sattha, composed by Chit Phumisak, the belated revolutionary icon from 1960s, to give moral support to Patiwat and Pornthip. They also flashed the three-fingered salute, the anti-coup gesture.
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