Eakachai Hongkangwan, 35, was charged under Thailand's strict lese majeste rules which prohibit insulting the kingdom's revered monarchy, after undercover police arrested him with CDs containing the programme in Bangkok on March 10.
"He was charged on two counts -- the lese majeste and selling CDs without official permission," said Lieutenant Colonel Nattakorn Kumsap of Chanasongkram police.
"Under the law he faces between three and 15 years in prison," he added.
Thailand's monarchy is an extremely sensitive subject in the politically divided nation, which is looking to hold elections in the coming months as it recovers from deadly street protests in April and May 2010.
The documentary was broadcast by the state-funded Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) last April in the midst of a military crackdown on the anti-government "Red Shirt" demonstrations.
The programme was not shown outside the country and could not be viewed over the Internet, but Thailand warned that the broadcast could affect ties with Australia.
Thailand has drawn flak from rights groups for suppressing freedom of speech using the Computer Crimes Act and the lese majeste legislation.
The country's criminal court jailed a webmaster for 13 years on charges of insulting the monarchy and violating computer laws earlier this month.
Thantawut Thaweevarodomkul, 38, was arrested last year during the Red Shirt protests after the website he ran -- linked to the opposition movement -- allegedly published comments insulting the monarchy.
Eakachai was linked to the Red Shirts, according to his lawyer Anon Numpa, who said his client was released Friday after his elderly father posted 500,000 baht ($16,500) bail.
He will appear in court on April 28.
No comments:
Post a Comment