The Criminal Court has rejected bail applications for ten “political” prisoners and detainees on the grounds that most of them have been charged with serious offenses, which range from possession of explosives, arson and causing damage to public property to inciting unrest and lèse majesté, during their protests last year.

Anti-establishment protesters gathered in front of the Criminal Court this morning, later moving to the Bangkok Art and Culture Gallery, to continue rallying public support for the release from jail of 12 prisoners and detainees, as lawyer Kittisak Kongthong applied for bail for them.

One of those jailed, Pornpote, has already had bail applications rejected several times for fear that he might jump bail and because the charges against him, which include possession and use of explosives, are serious.

In the case of another, Sitthichoke, who was sentenced to a total of seven and a half years by the Criminal Court, the lawyer proposed to post 150,000 baht to bail him out, which was rejected. The court has decided to refer this case to the Appeals Court.

Man dies in front of Criminal Court while demanding release of political prisoners