Accused of Insulting the Monarch, Thaksin Found Not Guilty

Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was accused of lese majeste, was acquitted on the 22nd, removing a threat facing his embattled political family.

According to AFP, 76-year-old Thaksin originally faced up to 15 years in prison, but the Bangkok court ruled that he did not violate Thailand's strict lèse-majesté law, which makes criticism of King Vajiralongkorn and members of the royal family a criminal offense.

The verdict had not been made public by the court that morning. Thaksin's lawyer, Winyat, told the media: "The court dismissed the charges against Thaksin and found the evidence insufficient."

Thaksin left the court ahead of his lawyer, and, smiling, told reporters that the case had been "dismissed" without further comment.

This case stemmed from comments Thaksin made during a 2015 interview with Korean media, in which he implied that the Privy Council supported the 2014 military coup that led to the ouster of his sister, then Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. The Privy Council was known to have close ties to the royal family. In 2016, the military government charged Thaksin with violating Article 112 of the criminal code—commonly known as the lese majeste law.

Thaksin is facing multiple lawsuits, including allegations that he evaded serving his sentence while staying at the police hospital. The Supreme Court will announce its verdict on September 9.

Suspended Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn is Thaksin's daughter. On the 21st, Thailand's Constitutional Court summoned Paetongtarn and the Secretary-General of the National Security Council for a hearing related to an alleged constitutional violation by Paetongtarn. The Constitutional Court is scheduled to discuss and rule on the case on August 29.