Thai Lawmaker Rukchanok Srinork Sentenced to Six Years for Defaming Monarchy

Rukchanok, a member of the progressive Move Forward Party, faces charges over social media posts criticizing a royal-linked company and retweeting an anti-monarchy quote.

Rukchanok Srinork, a newly elected lawmaker from Thailand's progressive Move Forward Party, has been sentenced to six years in prison for defaming the monarchy.
The charges stem from two posts she allegedly shared on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, in 2020. One post criticized a pharmaceutical company linked to the king and involved in manufacturing Covid-19 vaccines, and the other was a retweet of an anti-monarchy quote.
Rukchanok has denied posting the tweets and has appealed the sentence. She has also applied for bail, which if denied, would result in her losing her lawmaker status.
Thailand's lese majeste law, which protects the monarchy from criticism, has been criticized for being used to suppress political dissent. Since 2020, more than 200 people, including many young student activists, have been charged under this law.
The Move Forward Party, which Rukchanok is a part of, won the most votes in Thailand’s May election but was prevented from forming a government by the country’s powerful conservative establishment over the party’s bid to reform the lese majeste laws.