A criminal court in Thailand on Thursday acquitted Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, the leader of the Progressive Movement, of charges of defaming the king and violating the Computer Crime Act. The charges stemmed from comments he made during a Facebook Live broadcast in 2021 criticising the government's handling of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, specifically the awarding of a production contract to a company owned by King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
The Bangkok Criminal Court ruled that Thanathorn's remarks were aimed at criticising then-Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and did not contain malicious or defamatory messages towards the monarchy. Thailand's lese majeste law, Article 112 of the Criminal Code, carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison, and critics argue it is often used to suppress political dissent.
Speaking outside the court, Thanathorn said he felt relieved and called for the rights of political prisoners to be respected, stating, 'They are not criminals in a literal sense. They are in jail because they think and they speak.' The state attorney general's office indicated it is considering an appeal.
Thanathorn co-founded the Future Forward Party, which was dissolved in 2020. Its successor, the Move Forward Party, won the most seats in the 2023 election but was blocked from forming a government and later disbanded in 2024. The latest incarnation, the People's Party, came second in the 2026 election and is now the main opposition.
