Thai man sentenced to 20 years for insulting Thai monarchy

Thai man sentenced to 20 years for insulting Thai monarchy

2011-11-24 16:46:19 GMT+7 (ICT)

BANGKOK, THAILAND (BNO NEWS) -- A retired Thai truck driver was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Wednesday for sending text messages which a court deemed insulting to the country's monarchy, local media reported on Thursday.

Ampon Tangnoppakul, 61, was found guilty of four charges related to insulting the monarchy and violating the 2007 Computer Act in regards to national security for sending text messages considered offensive toward the monarchy to Somkiat Krongwattanasuk, a private secretary of former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

According to Thailand's Criminal Court, Tangnoppakul used his mobile phone to send text messages from several locations between May 9 and May 22, 2010, Thailand's MCOT news agency reported. He was arrested later that year on August 3, but the contents of the messages were not revealed in court.

Tangnoppakul, who was sentenced via tele-conference because the area around Bangkok's Remand Prison where he is currently jailed is flooded, has denied the charges. He argued during his trial that the mobile phone was broken at the time, explaining that it was being repaired at a shop.

Furthermore, Tangnoppakul claimed he did not know how to send text messages from the mobile device and that he did not know that Abhisit's private secretary was the recipient of such messages. "He insists that he loves His Majesty the King," his lawyer said, as quoted by the New York Times.

But the court rejected Tangnoppakul's arguments as he was unable to identify the shop where he claimed the mobile phone was being repaired at. Further investigations also confirmed that the device's SIM card was registered under his name.

Thailand's Criminal Court sentenced Tangnoppakul to five years in prison on each of the four charges, for a total prison term of 20 years.

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