A prominent Thai human rights lawyer faces a prison term of up to 150 years if convicted on 10 counts of royal defamation under Thailand’s harsh royal insult law, the legal watchdog Thai Lawyers for Human Rights said on Thursday. Prawet Prapanukul, 57, provided legal assistance to members of a political opposition group, the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship, and served as legal counsel in a high-profile royal insult case. “Prawet faces 10 counts of breaking Article 112, so that works out to up to 150 years in prison if he is found guilty,” Anon Nampha of Thai Lawyers for Human Rights told Reuters. Thailand’s military seized power from an elected civilian government in a May 2014 coup. The lawyers’ group said Prawet was charged along with five others, who also faced charges under the royal insult law.

Source: Dhaka Tribune May 04, 2017 07:18 UTC