Court grants third extension to appeal Thaksin’s lese-majeste acquittal
The Criminal Court has granted prosecutors a third extension to file an appeal in Thaksin Shinawatra’s Section 112 case, allowing the appeal period to run until December 19.
An update on the case in which prosecutors from Criminal Division 8 filed charges against former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, accusing him of insulting the monarchy under Section 112 of the Criminal Code (the lese-majeste law) and of violating the Computer Crime Act, with the latest development reported on Friday (November 21).
The charges stem from an interview Thaksin gave to a news outlet in Seoul, South Korea, in 2015, which prosecutors alleged contained remarks deemed defamatory to the monarchy. As the incident took place outside Thailand, authority over the case falls under the Office of the Attorney-General.
The Criminal Court (first instance) acquitted Thaksin on August 22 this year.
According to reports, on November 19 — two days before the appeal deadline of November 21 — prosecutors from Criminal Division 8 submitted a request to the Criminal Court seeking a third extension of time to lodge their appeal.
On Friday, it was reported that the Criminal Court had considered the request and approved an extension, allowing prosecutors to file their appeal until December 19.
Earlier, speculation had circulated that the current Attorney-General, Ittiporn Kaewthip, had instructed prosecutors to appeal the case.
The request for an extension was reportedly made to ensure that the appeal petition could be drafted carefully and thoroughly, preventing any errors should the drafting process not be completed before the original deadline.
