A Thai court has handed a rare suspended jail term to a man convicted for royal defamation, his lawyer said today, as prosecutions under the controversial law surge in the junta-ruled nation.
It is the first suspended sentence in a lese majeste case under the military regime, according to a local legal body, in a country where the monarchy is shielded by some of the toughest royal defamation legislation in the world.
Niran Yaowapa was found guilty Tuesday of posting a fake report about the health of Thailand's revered but ailing King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 87, on the website of an ultra-royalist local broadcaster in February.
But the court showed leniency as Niran, 50, realised his mistake and deleted the post "within 10 minutes", his lawyer Suwat Apaipakdi told AFP, reducing by half and then suspending an initial five-year sentence.
"The court said Niran is not that old so still has an opportunity to contribute to the country," Suwat added.
Prosecutions under the archaic law have skyrocketed since Thailand's military, self-designated protectors of the monarchy, seized power in a coup last year.
Critics say the legislation has been politicised, noting that many of those sentenced in recent years have been linked to the "Red Shirt" street movement, which supports fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
Niran, whose employer -- the broadcaster ASTVManager -- is known for its anti-Shinawatra stance, said today that he "respected" the court's decision.
Thailand's long-running political conflict broadly pits a Bangkok-based middle class and royalist elite, backed by parts of the military and judiciary, against rural and working-class voters loyal to Thaksin.
His younger sister Yingluck Shinawatra's government was ousted following months of street protests culminating in last year's coup.
Since grabbing power, the junta has stepped up online patrols for perceived royal insults.
In record sentences passed in August, a Thai court jailed a 48-year-old-man for 30 years for "insulting" the monarchy on Facebook. The same day a woman received a 28-year jail term also for posts on the social media website.
