PUBLISHED : 13 Dec 2023 at 12:03
The Criminal Court on Wednesday sentenced Move Forward Party MP Rukchanok Srinork to six years in prison, without suspension, for lese majeste and computer crime.
The court convicted Rukchanok, a 29-year-old MP for Bangkok, over posts she made about vaccine allocations, with pictures of His Majesty the King, on her Twitter account @nanaicez between July 18 and Aug 9, 2021. She denied all charges.
She had arrived at the court to hear the ruling accompanied by Pita Limjaroenrat, MFP chief adviser, and MFP leader Chaithawat Tulathon, who acted as her lawyer.
Before going inside, Rukchanok said she had confidence in her defence and she had unsuccessfully sought a postponement of the ruling, because Wednesday was the first day of the new House session.
After hearing judgement, Rukchanok only smiled as she was taken to a cell in the court building. Mr Chaithawat said he would offer his MP status as surety in seeking her temporary release pending appeal.
If she is not released on bail on the same day as her sentencing and is detained by court order she will lose her House seat, by law.