A woman in Thailand sentenced to a prison term of more than four decades on a charge of royal defamation was released on Wednesday by a royal pardon after serving just under one-fifth of her term, said a human rights organization.
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights said 69-year-old Anchan Preelert was one of six political prisoners freed under a July 29 pardon.
Anchan, a former civil servant, was sentenced in January 2021 by the Bangkok Criminal Court on 29 counts of violating the country’s lese majeste law for posting audio clips to Facebook and YouTube with comments deemed critical of the monarchy.
The main criticism of the law is that it is used as a tool to quash political dissent.
More than 50 people remain in prison as political prisoners and 32 of them are charged with insulting or defaming the monarchy, said Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.
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A Royal Pardon Frees a Thai Woman Serving a 43-year Prison Term for Defaming the Monarchy
08/27/2025
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