Thailand drops royal insult prosecution against American academic
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FILE PHOTO: Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida review the guard of honour during a trooping of the colours ceremony to mark the 72nd birthday of Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn in Bangkok, Thailand, December 3, 2024. REUTERS/Athit P
BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's state prosecutor said on Thursday it will not prosecute an American academic who was arrested and charged last month with insulting the royal family, a crime that carries a penalty of up to 15 years in jail, and asked a court to free him.
Paul Chambers, a lecturer at Thailand's Naresuan University, was arrested after a complaint was filed by the royalist army, drawing widespread criticism within Thailand and from the U.S. State Department, which said it was alarmed by the case.
Chambers was also charged with violations of the computer crimes act. He had denied both sets of charges.
Thailand has one of the world's harshest lese majeste laws, setting jail terms of up to 15 years for anyone convicted of defaming, insulting or threatening King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his close family.
The Office of the Attorney General said in a statement it had decided not to pursue the two sets of charges against Chambers, asking the court in Phitsanulok to release him. It also said it would seek the opinion of the police force on the decision.
Chambers spent a day in pre-trial detention last month and had to wear an ankle bracelet for weeks following his release on bail after his arrest. He also had his Thai work visa revoked, but was told not to leave the country.
His lawyer, Wannaphat Jenroumjit, said the initial charges stemmed from a blurb published on a website of a research institute outside of Thailand for an online academic seminar last year at which Chambers was a speaker.
"The swift order from the prosecutor is a good thing as it could alleviate the damages to Paul, which were numerous," Wannaphat told Reuters.
An appeal against the cancellation of Chambers' visa has been filed, but the immigration bureau has not yet made a decision on the matter, Wannaphat said.
(Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat and Panu Wongcha-um; Editing by John Mair)
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