Ongoing Detention of Jatupat Boonpattararaksa

On 10 May 2019, human rights defender and former student leader Jatupat Boonpattararaksa, also known as Pai Dao Din, was released from Khon Kaen Prison five weeks before the end of his jail term.

The human rights defender’s release was a result of a royal pardon granted to about 50,000 prisoners by King Vajiralongkorn, also known as King Rama X, to mark his coronation, which took place from 4 to 6 May 2019.

Jatupat Boonpattararaksa had been detained since 22 December 2016 in connection with his sharing of a BBC article on the life of King Vajiralongkorn on social media. On 15 August 2017, he was sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment for lèse majesté. His jail term was originally due to be completed on 19 June 2019.

On 5 April 2017, the Appeal Court confirmed the initial ruling of 22 December 2016 by the provincial court of Khon Kaen not to release human rights defender, Jatupat Boonpattararaksa. He has been detained since 22 December 2016 in  Khon Kaen Prison for sharing a BBC article on the life of King Vajiralongkorn on social media. He was charged with lèse majesté and violation of the Computer Crime Act. These charges mean that Jatupat Boonpattararaksa could face up to 15 years in prison. The trial of Jatupat Boonpattararaksa at Khon Kaen Court, in north-eastern Thailand, is due to commence in August 2017.

Jatupat Boonpattararaksa is a human rights defender and leader of a student activist group called Dao Din based in Khon Kaen University in the north-eastern province of Khon Kaen. The group advocates for community rights, social justice and democracy. He is also a member of New Democracy Movement (NDM) which opposes the military dictatorship in Thailand, a regime which has been in place since the coup d’etat in May 2014.

On 3 December 2016, Jatupat Boonpattararaksa was arrested for violating Article 112 of the Criminal Code, the lèse majesté law, for sharing a biography of King Vajiralongkorn published by BBC Thai via his Facebook account on 2 December 2016. Later that day he was released on bail by the Provincial Court of Khon Kaen. On 22 December, the court revoked his bail after he posted a message mocking the Thai authorities on his Facebook page. The message read, “Economy is poor but they (the authorities) took my money for bail.” Since then Jatupat Boonpattararaksa has been in detention in Khon Kaen Prison.

On 10 February 2017, Jatupat Boonpattararaksa  was taken from Khon Kaen Prison, where he had been in pre-trial detention for 50 days, to the Khon Kaen court to be indicted on charges of lèse majesté and violation of the Computer Crime Act. Jatupat Boonpattararaksa denied all charges. His request for bail was rejected.

This is not the first case of judicial harassment against Jatupat Boonpattararaksa. On 6 August 2016, along with his colleague, Wasin Prommanee, he was arrested for violating the Constitutional Referendum Act while campaigning against the drafting of a new constitution in Thailand.

Front Line Defenders condemns the Appeal Court’s decision to reject human rights defender, Jatupat Boonpattararaksa’s, request for bail, which it believes to be directly linked to his peaceful and legitimate work in defence of human rights, and calls on the authorities in Thailand to immediately release him.

On 1 February 2017, the Khon Kaen Provincial Court granted police permission to continue the detention of human rights defender Jatupat Boonpattararaksa for a further 10 days. He has been in pre-trial detention for 41 days under the lèse majesté law for sharing a BBC biography of King Vajiralongkorn on social media. He has reportedly lost 6 kilograms while in prison. 

Jatupat Boonpattararaksa is a human rights defender and leader of a student activist group called Dao Din based in Khon Kaen University in the north-eastern province of Khon Kaen. The group advocates for community rights, social justice and democracy. He is also a member of New Democracy Movement (NDM) which fights against the military dictatorship in Thailand, a regime which has been in place since the coup d’etat in May 2014.

On 1 February 2017, during an in-camera trial, Jatupat Boonpattararaksa was denied bail by the Provincial Court of Khon Kaen for the sixth time, which means that he will remain detained in Khon Kaen Prison for 10 more days with the possibility of a further extension. He has been in detention since 3 December 2016 and has reportedly lost 6 kilograms while in prison. Over 80 people went to the court to observe the hearing and support the human rights defender but they were not allowed to enter the courtroom as it was decided by the court to conduct the hearing in-camera. Subsequently, Jatupat Boonpattararaksa’s mother began hitting her head repeatedly against the courtroom wall and said that she was willing to trade her life in exchange for justice for her son. The police officer who requested the extension on Jatupat Boonpattararaksa’s pre-trial detention pleaded for more time to interrogate the human rights defender in relation to CDs he allegedly found which may be used as further evidence in the case.

On 3 December 2016, Jatupat Boonpattararaksa was arrested for violating Article 112 of the Criminal Code, the lèse majesté law, for sharing a biography of King Vajiralongkorn published by BBC Thai via his Facebook account on 2 December 2016. On the same day as his arrest, Jatupat Boonpattararaksa was released on bail by the Provincial Court of Khon Kaen. On 22 December, the court revoked his bail after he posted a message mocking the Thai authorities on his Facebook page. The message said, “Economy is poor but they (authorities) took my money for bail.” Since then, Jatupat Boonpattararaksa has been in detention in  Khon Kaen Prison.

Front Line Defenders is concerned about the continued judicial harassment against and health deterioration of human rights defender, Jatupat Boonpattararaksa, which it believes to be directly linked to his peaceful and legitimate work in defence of human rights.

Update 23 August 2016: Human rights defender Jatupat Boonpattararaksa was released on bail, after two weeks of imprisonment.

On 15 August 2016, it was reported that following 9 days of a hunger strike to protest his arrest, human rights defender Jatupat Boonpattararaksa became semi-conscious with a fever in Phu Khiao District Prison. Jatupat Boonpattararaksa, along with his colleague Wasin Prommanee were arrested on 6 August 2016 for violating the Constitutional Referendum Act while campaigning against the draft of a new constitution in Thailand.

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Jatupat Boonpattararaksa is a human rights defender and leader of a student activist group called ‘Dao Din’ based in Khon Kaen University in the north-eastern province of Khon Kaen. The group advocates for community rights, social justice and democracy. He is also a member of New Democracy Movement (NDM) along with Wasin Prommanee, which fights against military dictatorship in Thailand, which has been in place since the coup d’etat in May 2014.

On 15 August 2016, lecturers from Naresuan University and activists from Dao Din, visited Jatupat Boonpattararaksa and reported that the human rights defender was semi-conscious and had a fever following a hunger strike which he began on 7 August 2016 protesting against his arrest.

On 6 August 2016, one day ahead of a national referendum in Thailand on the new draft constitution, police from the Phu Khiao police station arrested Jatupat Boonpattararaksa and Wasin Prommanee while they were distributing leaflets, fliers and documents with information about the new draft constitution and the increased military control it could bring. The human rights defenders were charged under Article 61 of the Constitutional Referendum Act of “publishing or distributing content about the draft constitution that deviates from the facts, contains rude and violent language, or threateningly discourages voters from participating in the referendum”. They are also accused of violating a government order by refusing to provide fingerprints while in police custody. If convicted, they could face up to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to 200,000 THB (€5,160) and loss of electoral rights for five years.

On 8 August 2016, the human rights defenders were brought before the Phu Khiao Court. Wasin Prommanee was released on bail after paying 150,000 THB (€3,870), he is due in court on 22 August 2016. Jatupat Boonpattararaksa claimed his innocence and refused to be released on bail.  He is scheduled to appear in court on 19 August 2016.

Front Line Defenders is concerned about human rights defender Jatupat Boonpattararaksa’s health and the judicial harassment of him and of Wasin Prommanee, which it believes to be directly linked to their peaceful and legitimate work in defence of human rights.

Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in Thailand to:

1. Immediately  release Jatupat Boonpattararaksa, and withdraw the legal action against him and Wasin Prommanee, including dropping all charges against them, as it is believed that it is solely motivated by their legitimate and peaceful work in defence of human rights;

2. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Thailand are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions.