Police urged to withdraw petition against detained student activist’s bail plea
Representatives of the father of student activist Jatupat “Pai Dao Din” Boonpatraraksa have submitted a petition to the Royal Thai Police chief, asking him to help look into possible withdrawal of the police’s previous petition to the court to revoke Jatupat’s bail, which has led to his detention since last December.
Jatupat was charged and detained after he shared a BBC article deemed to have insulted the monarchy last December. He was accused of violating the lese majeste and computer crime laws.
He was released on bail, but his bail was revoked after investigators filed a complaint with the court accusing him of violating his bail conditions. Since then his lawyers have filed numerous requests for bail, which have been rejected by the court.
The representatives of Jatupat’s father Viboon Boonpatraraksa, which includes a lecturer, believe that the student activist may be able to come out of detention if the police complaint was withdrawn.
Jatupat has been awarded the 2017 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights by the South Korea-based May 18 Memorial Foundation. He will also receive a prize of US$50,000 (Bt1.7 million).
According to the online news agency Prachatai, Jatupat had been nominated for the honour by the Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies. The award recognises individuals or organisations who have made a great contribution to the struggle for human rights, democracy and peace in their own country in Asia.
Viboon said Jatupat’s mother may represent him at the award ceremony.
Viboon’s representatives, which includes a lecturer, believe that Jatupat may be able to come out of detention if the police complaint was annulled.