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On Monday, the Bangkok Criminal Court in Thailand’s capital sent three prominent democracy activists to pretrial detention on charges of insulting the monarchy, consigning them to potentially years in prison before their cases come to trial.
According to the rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW), Thailand’s attorney general charged Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul, Jatupat “Pai” Boonpattararaksa, and Panupong “Mike” Jadnok with lese majeste for making speeches demanding reforms of the monarchy during a political rally on September 19.
If found guilty of lese majeste under Article 112 of the Thai Criminal Code, the activists could face up to 15 years in prison. The trio was also charged with sedition under Article 116, which carries a maximum seven-year sentence.