BANGKOK – Thai authorities have charged an activist lawyer and five other persons with defaming the monarchy, pushing the tally of people charged with lese majeste to more than 100 since the military seized power in 2014.
A legal aid group says lawyer Prawet Prapanukul and the others were seized Saturday by soldiers and held incommunicado until a Wednesday court appearance.
Anon Nampa of Thai Lawyers for Human Rights said Thursday that Prawet is charged with 10 counts of lese majeste, each punishable by up to 15 years imprisonment, and three counts under the Computer Crime Act, each with a seven-year maximum sentence.
Thailand's lese majeste law is the world's harshest and routinely draws criticism from rights groups and the United Nations, who say it is open to politically motivated abuse.
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