Thailand: journalist sentenced to 4.5-year imprisonment for insulting king

In Thailand, the military court sentenced the editor of an information portal to 4.5 years in prison for publishing material offending the dignity of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

It is reported by the Associated Press, with reference to a source in the military authorities of Thailand.

According to the source, originally a journalist Nut Rungwong was sentenced to nine years in prison, but the term was reduced twice, as he admitted his guilt.

Rungwong was the editor of the Thai E-News site, which is now blocked by local censors. In 2009, on the website he posted an article written by Giles Ji Ungpakorn, Thai-British teacher, leftist social and political activist. The same year, Ungpakorn moved from Thailand to the UK to escape prosecution. The part of the article insulting King Bhumibol Adulyadej is not specified.

Lese majeste law acting in Thailand is considered the most stringent in the world. According to it, the man accused of insulting the king or the threat of the monarchy, could be sentenced to prison for the term ranging from three to 15 years.

The previous loud sentence under this law was imposed in Thailand in January 2013. Back then, the court sentenced the chief editor of Voice of Thaksin magazine Somyot Pruksakasemsuk to 10 years in prison. He was arrested after he started collecting signatures in support of the petition on the abolition of Article 112 of the Criminal Code of Thailand, which prescribes punishment for insults, threats or defamation of king, queen or heir to the throne.

It is to be recalled that in November 2013, riots broke out in Thailand because of the conflict between the government of Yingluck Shinawatra and the opposition, demanding to abridge voting rights. The confrontation resulted in dozens of casualties and ended in military coup on May 22, 2014. Back then, the Thai army imposed martial law. Also there were introduced censorship in the media and curfew, the Senate was dissolved, the constitution terminated, the prominent politicians were arrested. In early November, it was reported that Prime Minister of Thailand intends to impose martial law in some areas of the country.