Anchan Preelert

Anchan Preelert (Thai: อัญชัญ ปรีเลิศ) is a Thai former civil servant.[1]

Career

Royal defamation charges

In January 2015, Anchan was arrested by military officers under orders of the ruling military junta led by General Prayut Chan-O-Cha, the National Council for Peace and Order.[2] She spent the following 3 years and 9 months in detention, initially at a military camp in Kanchanaburi and subsequently at Central Women's Correctional Institution, when her case was transferred to the civilian courts.[2]

In 2021, Anchan was convicted of 29 counts of royal defamation under Thailand's lese-majeste law. Each count carried a prison sentence of 3 years, a total of 87 years.[3][4] After pleading guilty, her sentence was reduced to 43.6 years, the longest sentence yet for violating the lese-majeste law.[5][6] This was later surpassed by Mongkol Thirakot 50-year sentence for violating the lese majeste law in 2024.[7][8]

Anchan's sentence was condemned by global human rights groups, including Amnesty International Thailand.[9]

On 26 August 2025, Anchan's lawyers announced she had received a royal pardon and would be released on 27 August 2025, after serving almost 8 years.[2][10]

References

  1. ^ "แอมเนสตี้-ภาคประชาชนร่วมฉลองวันเกิด 69 ปี 'อัญชัญ' | ประชาไท". prachatai.com (in Thai). 2025-08-26. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  2. ^ a b c "Woman sentenced to 43 years for royal insult to be freed". Bangkok Post. 2025-08-26. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  3. ^ Oliver, Charles (2021-01-27). "Brickbat: Malevolent Monarchy". Reason.com. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  4. ^ Nation, The (2021-01-19). "Record 87-year lèse majesté sentence condemned by global rights bodies". nationthailand. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  5. ^ "Woman Is Sentenced to 43 Years for Criticizing Thai Monarchy (Published 2021)". 2021-01-19. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  6. ^ "Thai woman sentenced to 43 years in jail for insulting monarchy". Reuters. 2021-01-19. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  7. ^ Regan, Helen (2024-01-19). "Thailand sentences man to record 50 years in prison for insulting the monarchy". CNN. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  8. ^ "Chiang Rai man's lese-majeste sentences top 54 years". Bangkok Post. 2024-09-04. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  9. ^ Esguerra, Anthony (2021-01-19). "Thai Woman Sentenced to 43 Years for Defaming Monarchy". VICE. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  10. ^ พี่ฉัตร (2025-08-26). "พรุ่งนี้ปล่อยตัว! 'อัญชัญ ปรีเลิศ' สิ้นสุดการติดคุกคดี ม.112 นาน 8 ปี 4 เดือน 19 วัน" (in Thai). Retrieved 2025-08-26.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.