Mongkol Thirakhot, a 30-year-old online clothing vendor and political activist from northern Chiang Rai province. He was convicted of 25 violations of the lese majeste law, which prohibits criticism of the Thai royal family. He received a record 50-year prison sentence from an appeal court on Thursday, January 18, 2024.
The lese majeste law, also known as Article 112, carries a maximum penalty of 15 years for each offense. It is one of the strictest laws of its kind in the world and has been widely condemned by human rights groups as a tool to suppress dissent. Mongkol was arrested in April 2021 for posting comments on Facebook that were deemed insulting to the monarchy.
He was initially sentenced to 28 years in prison by a criminal court in January 2023 for 14 counts of lese majeste. The appeal court upheld his original conviction and added 22 more years to his sentence for 11 additional counts that the lower court had dismissed.
Mongkol denies any wrongdoing and plans to appeal his sentence to the Supreme Court. His lawyer said he faces the longest jail term in the history of lese majeste cases. The previous record was 43 years, given to a retired civil servant in 2021.
