Thai woman jailed 43 years for royal insult freed under mass pardon
A Thai woman who received one of the longest prison sentences under the country’s lese-majeste law was released on August 27 after eight years in jail, following a mass pardon marking the king’s birthday.
Anchan Preelert, 69, was sentenced in 2021 to 43 years in prison for sharing online audio clips of underground podcast host “DJ Banpodj,” who was known for criticising the monarchy.
She had initially been given 87 years, with three years imposed for each of the 29 clips shared, but the sentence was halved after she confessed.
Anchan was among 85 inmates granted clemency from the Central Women's Correctional Institution in Bangkok.
"It's been more than eight years, which feels like my whole life. It's a bitter feeling for me because it's not my place. It’s torture," Anchan said after her release. "I feel very happy. I didn't think it would be so warm and welcoming like this."
Thailand’s lese-majeste law, also known as Section 112, has been criticised by rights groups for its broad application, with warnings that it has been used to silence legitimate criticism and dissent.
In 2021, Anchan’s case marked the longest sentence ever imposed for royal insult until 2024, when a 32-year-old online seller, Mongkol Thirakot, was sentenced to at least 50 years over Facebook posts deemed insulting to the monarchy.
Earlier this month, former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was acquitted of royal insult charges over a 2015 interview in which he was accused of making remarks critical of the monarchy.
Several rights organisations, including Amnesty International, welcomed Anchan’s release as a rare reprieve for political prisoners in Thailand.
Last month, Thai lawmakers rejected an amnesty bill for lese-majeste offenders, a decision rights groups described as a setback.
According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, more than 280 people have been prosecuted under Section 112 in the past five years, with cases rising sharply following the student-led protests of 2020, during which some demonstrators made unprecedented public criticism of the king.
"I wish the amnesty would be enforced on ordinary people too,” Anchan said.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
