Political prisoners in January 2025

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights has done some fine-tuning of its data on political prisoners up to 14 January 2025.

They calculate that the total number of political prisoners at 14 January 2025 was at least 39 people, of whom 26 are Article 112/lese majeste cases. Note that there may well be more political prisoners than this as the state does not collect and release such data and many cases have been heard in secret trials.

The currently known political prisoners are (based on PPT’s rough translation):

• At least 23 prisoners who did not receive bail during their legal battles (16 of whom were cases under Article 112).
• One youth detained in a correctional center by the Juvenile Court
• At least 15 prisoners whose cases have been finalized (10 of which are Article 112 cases)

Some of the additional cases added to the total are of interest:

• Yutthana and Mahahin, accused of throwing a bomb at the Criminal Court in 2015 and sentenced to 34 years and 4 months in prison. Both have been detained since 8 March 2015 and are at Klong Prem Central Prison.
• Kritsada, accused of throwing a grenade at a stage of PDRC protesters on 19 January 2014. Sentenced to life imprisonment and detained since 14 December 2018 at Khlong Prem Central Prison.
• Methi Amornwuthikul, accused of possessing a firearm during the dispersal of the Red Shirt protests on 10 April 2010. He was sentenced to two years in prison and has been in detention since 4 June  2024 at Bangkok Special Prison.
• Worrawet, a defendant in a lese majeste case related to conducting a poll to survey on annoying royal cavalcades. He revoked his own bail on 29 November 2023, and has been detained since.
• Anucha, prosecuted under Article 112 for holding up a large vinyl sign with messages about the monarchy at Police Headquarters on 23 February 2021. Sentenced and detained at Bangkok Remand Prison since 18 December 2024.

The report adds that there are many more cases in the courts at present.