Political activist Tantawan Tuatulanon was on Monday sentenced to two years in prison and fined 600 baht by the Criminal Court after she was found guilty of lèse majesté and four other charges.
Her conviction is related to an incident on March 5, 2022,when she livestreamed from Ratchadamnoen Nok Road, opposite the regional office of the United Nations, while a Royal motorcade was passing, reportedly to convey a message to the powers-that-be about the hardships of the farmers who were protesting there.
The court said in its ruling that police deployed at the scene had asked the defendant three times to stop the livestreaming, but she refused. The court found her guilty on five charges, including lèse majesté, but acquitted her of the charges of obstructing and assaulting the police, claiming that she acted out of panic and had no intention to harm the police officers.
The court also ordered the confiscation of her smartphone.
Tantawan was, however, granted bail on a 100,000 baht surety and the court forbade her from leaving the country without its prior permission.
Her lawyer told the media that Tantawan will appeal the Criminal Court’s verdict.
