A court in Thailand has acquitted five people of impeding the motorcade of the country's queen during pro-democracy demonstrations in 2020, an offence that could have seen them sentenced to 16 years in prison or even the death penalty.
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The Bangkok Criminal Court's verdict represented a rare legal victory for Thailand's pro-democracy movement, which has often faced an uphill battle in the conservative courts.
After the verdict was read, people in the courtroom clapped and cheered, as the smiling defendants hugged each other, and the judge had to call for order.
The defendants thanked the court, with one, Ekachai Hongkangwan, saying he always had confidence the courts would be just.
The case stemmed from an incident on October 14, 2020, on the fringes of a rally in Bangkok that was calling for democratic reforms, including over the privileges of the country's powerful monarchy.
One of the defendants, 23-year-old international relations student Bunkueanun Paothong had denied knowing a royal motorcade was due to pass by, and said that when he saw it he urged people to move away.
Prosecutors had alleged he knew the royal motorcade, with a limousine carrying Queen Suthida, wife of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, and his son, Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, was due to pass the area and that he and his fellow defendants had broken away to block its route.
They also charged that they tussled with police officers who were securing the path, then urged other protesters to sit in the road to stop its passage.
The court ruled that there had been no clear announcement to the public there would be a motorcade in the area and that the defendants were likely unable to see it approaching because there were layers of police surrounding the cars.
The protesters quickly backed off once they realised the motorcade was there, the court said.
The court acquitted the five on all charges, even a minor one of blocking traffic, an offence often brought against those arrested for involvement in street protests.
The royal family is traditionally revered in Thailand. Its sacrosanct status is backed by harsh defamation laws. But ever since the ascension of King Vajiralongkorn in 2016, there's been growing disquiet over the extent of this privileged position.
Beginning in 2020, large-scale protests challenged the status quo. In unprecedented scenes, tens of thousands gathered repeatedly to demand a list of changes. A combination of the pandemic and the arrest of protest leaders tamped down the dissent but it didn't go away.
Lawyer Poonsuk Poonsukcharoen from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights said after the court session concluded that she was happy the five defendants, who always insisted on their innocence, received justice, and that the case was handled in a straightforward way strictly based on evidence that was presented.
Australian Associated Press
