THE Supreme Court today (Jan. 20) upheld a five-year, four-month sentence against a key member of United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), commonly called Red Shirts, Mr. Yoswarit Chuglom, aka Jeng Dokjik, even though he is undergoing treatment for a stroke, and life imprisonment sentence against another prominent Red Shirt member Mr. Suksek Poltue, aka Suk, over political protests in 2010, Amarin TV and Naewna newspaper said today (Jan. 20).
The public prosecutors had filed charges against Mr. Veerakarn Musikapong, aka Veera, and Mr. Jatuporn Prompan, both former chairpersons of UDD, Mr. Nattawut Saikua, the secretary-general, and 24 others, with all except these two being acquitted.
The 2010 political protests were organised by UDD in Bangkok from March 12 to May 19 against the Democrat Party-led government. The UDD called on then prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to dissolve parliament and hold elections earlier than the end of term elections scheduled in 2012. However negotiations on setting the election failed. When the military moved in to violently end the protests on May 19 more than 80 civilians and six soldiers were killed and over 2,100 others injured, according to Wikipedia.
The lower court had acquitted all the defendants but the Appeals Court overturned this verdict sentencing Yoswarit, defendant number seven, to a total of 8 years imprisonment, reduced by one-third to 5 years and 4 months, without parole. Defendant No. 12, Suksek, was sentenced to life imprisonment. The other defendants were acquitted, upholding the lower court’s verdict.
However Yoswarit’s daughter today asked Criminal Court handing down the Supreme Court’s verdict to again postpone it by 30 days as had been done last month because he is still undergoing treatment for stroke at Phra Nang Klao Hospital.
The court, noting that a postponement had already been granted once, ordered the defendant to appear at this hearing otherwise an arrest warrant would be issued and the bail guarantor would be fined.
Yoswarit’s daughter then contacted her father by phone, arranging for him to travel from the hospital by public taxi. Yoswarit, who was wheeled into the courtroom with a gauze bandage covering an IV line in his left arm and a patient name tag still tied to his wrist, appeared exhausted.
Both were immediately taken to Bangkok Remand Prison.
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Top and Front Page – Mr. Yoswarit Chuglom, aka Jeng Dokjik, entering the Criminal Court and talking to his lawyer. Photos – Naewna
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