Thailand: Drop charges against Amnesty International Thailand Chair and others

Image: AI Thailand Chair Porpen Khongkaconkiet (L) and Piyanut Kotsan (R) of Amnesty International Thailand with Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty International. © Amnesty International

Responding to the news on 26 July 2016 that three leading human rights defenders in Thailand — including a current and former chair of Amnesty International Thailand —  have been formally charged with “computer crimes” and “criminal defamation” for publishing a report on torture committed by the country’s security forces, Amnesty International said:

“The Thai authorities must immediately drop all charges against Somchai Homla-or, Anchana Heemmina, and Porpen Khongkaconkiet. It is not a crime to investigate human rights violations. The true injustice is that these three brave human rights activists are being punished for reporting on torture, while the soldiers who perpetrated these horrendous acts are being shielded from accountability,” said Champa Patel, Amnesty International’s Senior Research Adviser for South East Asia and the Pacific.

The true injustice is that these three brave human rights activists are being punished for reporting on torture, while the soldiers who perpetrated these horrendous acts are being shielded from accountability

Champa Patel, Amnesty International's Senior Research Adviser for South East Asia and the Pacific