BANGKOK (AP) — Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was formally indicted Tuesday on charges of defaming Thailand’s monarchy in one of several lawsuits that have roiled Thai politics.
Thaksin, an influential political figure despite being ousted from power 18 years ago, turned himself in to prosecutors just before 9 a.m. and the indictment process has been completed, Prayuth Bejraguna, a spokesman for the attorney general’s office, said. at a press conference.
A car believed to be carrying Thaksin arrived at the ICC in Bangkok, but he did not come out to meet reporters, and it is unclear whether he went to the court or to the nearby prosecutor’s office.
His lawyer Winyat Chatmontree told reporters that Thaksin was ready to participate in the legal proceedings and that he has prepared an application for his release on bail.
The law on defaming the monarchy, a crime known as lèse majesté, carries a prison sentence of three to 15 years. It is among the strictest laws in the world and is increasingly used in Thailand to punish critics of the government.
