Lèse majesté convict decides to withdraw bail applications

File photo : Arnon Nampa

Imprisoned political activist Arnon Nampa has asked his lawyer to withdraw his bail applications in the over 20 cases still pending against him, after the Supreme Court, on Wednesday, rejected his bail application filed in the lèse majesté case for which he was convicted.

The well-known anti-establishment activist is currently incarcerated in Bangkok remand prison, after being found guilty of an act of lèse majesté by the Criminal Court on September 26, in connection with a protest in 2020.

In a hand-written letter to his son on Wednesday, which was released today, Arnon said that bail should be the right of every individual until a case is over and the Supreme Court’s rejection of his bail application was not unexpected for a political case and for a political prisoner like him.

He told his son that he has instructed his lawyer, from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, to withdraw all his bail applications in 20 cases still pending before the court.

He said that the fact that he was sentenced to imprisonment does not mean that he accepts the charges against him because he did not confess.

The activist explained that, since 2020, the political struggle of the new-generation of Thais is a result of their growing political awareness, to fight for change, freedom and equality “which is not wrong, but they are still imprisoned.”

He said that, of all the cases pending against him, he may end up having to serve more than 80 years in prison, but he will never accept that he is in the wrong.

He also said that his two sons will understand the meaning of his words, that being imprisoned does not mean he confessed, when they grow up and, by that time, Thailand may have changed.

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