A Thai criminal court has acquitted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra of royal defamation charges, dismissing a high-profile case that could have resulted in a 15-year prison sentence. The ruling, delivered on Friday, marks a significant legal victory for the influential 76-year-old politician and his family’s political dynasty.
The case stemmed from a 2015 interview Thaksin gave to a South Korean newspaper while in self-imposed exile. The prosecution, initiated by the military junta that overthrew his sister Yingluck Shinawatra’s government, had alleged that comments he made in the interview violated Thailand’s strict lese-majesty laws, which protect the monarchy from insult or criticism. Thaksin had consistently denied the charges, asserting that all legal cases against him were politically motivated.
During the hearing, the court determined that the evidence presented by the prosecution was insufficient to prove that Thaksin had defamed or insulted the monarchy. The court found that the witness testimony and evidence lacked credibility and that his comments were more likely a critique of the military coup rather than the royal institution. A smiling Thaksin told reporters outside the courthouse that the case had been “dismissed.”
While the acquittal is a major relief for Thaksin, the Shinawatra family’s legal battles are far from over. The verdict comes as his daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who is the current prime minister, faces her own legal challenge. The Constitutional Court is expected to deliver a verdict next week on whether she will be removed from office over alleged ethical violations. Furthermore, Thaksin faces another legal case in September concerning whether his time spent in a hospital, rather than in prison, should be counted as time served for a previous conviction.