THE Appeal Court again today (Feb. 27) refused to grant bail to four protest leaders held in pretrial detention since Feb. 9 over charges of breaching Section 112 of the Criminal Code, known as the lese majeste law, as well as Section 116 stemming from a demonstration held on September 19 last year. Siam Rath newspaper said.
Mr, Noraset Na Nongtoom, an attorney at the Human Rights Lawyers Association, said the court stated that there was no reason to change their order.
Noraset said he told the court that although it had on Feb. 22 rejected an appeal to bail out Mr. Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak, lawyer Mr. Anon Nampa, Mr. Somyot Prueksakasemsuk and Mr Patiwat Saraiyaem, also known as “Mor Lam Bank”, it had granted bail to eight members of People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) umbrella pressure group.
Among the eight PDRC members who were bailed out yesterday are protest leader and former deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban and three former ministers. They were sentenced to imprisonment for mounting street protests that toppled former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in 2014 earlier this week.
Noraset said he compared the issues point by point but nevertheless bail was rejected.
This rejection came despite two Thammasat University professors, Mr. Chanvit Kasetsiri, former president of Thammasat University, and Mr. Panat Tassaneeyananda, former dean of the Faculty of Law, having placed their positions as guarantee.
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Top : The four protest leaders who are still being held in pretrial detention: Photo: Siam Rath
Home Page: A bird’s eye view of the September 19, 2020 demonstration at Sanam Luang released by an anonymous member of Free Youth group and shared by Thai Rath.
