Benja convicted on 112

Clipped from Khaosod

The Bangkok Post reports that on 30 October 2023, the Bangkok South Criminal Court convicted student activist Benja Apan of lese majeste and violating the emergency decree when protesting and speaking on 10 August 2021.

She was sentenced to three years in prison and fined 8,000 baht fine for lese majeste, and one year in prison and a fine of 12,000 baht for violating the emergency decree. The sentences were consecutive, meaning a total of four years in prison and 20,000 baht in fines.

The court ruled that as Benja is still a student at university and had not previously been given a jail sentence, the penalties were commuted by one-third to two years and eight months in jail and a fine of 8,000 baht. The prison term was suspended for two years.

As far as PPT can ascertain, Benja faced a total of nine lese majeste charges.

On the charge where she was convicted, she was first arrested on 7 October 2021.