Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul,
Panupong Chadnok, three human rights defenders and prominent pro-democracy activists.
On March 8, 2021, the prosecutors made a decision for criminal proceedings against Ms. Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, Mr. Jatupat Boonpattararaksa and Mr. Panupong Chadnok to go ahead. The three have been charged under Articles 112 (“lèse-majesté”) and 116 (“sedition”) of the Criminal Code in connection with speeches concerning the Thai monarchy they made at a peaceful pro-democracy protest at Bangkok’s Sanam Luang on September 19, 2020. Subsequently, the Bangkok Criminal Court ordered their pre-trial detention and denied bail requests to all three defendants, arguing that the defendants would present a high risk of re-offending if released.