<p>The Thai criminal court has dismissed criminal defamation charges against Andy Hall, a British human rights defender and migration researcher. This is one of the four libel cases filed by a processed fruit company after Hall publicised poor human rights records and abusive labour conditions in the company’s factories.</p> <p>Phra Khanong Provincial Court, Bangkok, on Wednesday morning dismissed the first criminal libel case against Andy Hall, a freelance human rights and migration researcher, due incorrect investigation procedures. &nbsp;</p>

<div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <div>&nbsp;A man has been arrested and charged with lèse majesté under Article 112 for sending an email with a link to content deemed to defame the monarchy to the now-defunct Stop Lèse Majesté blog. This is the third case involving the blog, according to iLaw. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><a href="http://freedom.ilaw.or.th/en/case/614">Tanet</a> (last name withheld due to privacy concerns) was accused of sending an email to Emilio Esteban, whom the police identified as an Englishman residing in Spain. </div></div>

<div> <div>The fate of lèse majesté detainees under the junta is perhaps not much different than under past democratic governments -- unwarranted lengthy detention without bail remains the order of the day.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Akradet E., a third-year engineering student at Mahanakorn University of Technology, was denied bail for the fourth time on Tuesday.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Akradet’s father, Surapol, made a plea to the court with a 150,000 baht surety that the university required registration on 5-9 August so that he could be enrolled for the fourth year when classes reop </div></div>

<div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The Criminal Court will start hearing two lese majeste cases this Wednesday and in mid August, according to <a href="http://freedom.ilaw.or.th/en">iLaw</a>, an Internet-based human rights advocacy group. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>In the first case, a man in his twenties, was arrested and charged with lese majeste and offences under the Computer Crime Act. </div>

<div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <div>The police have charged Thanat Thanawatcharanon, aka Tom Dundee, a country singer-turned-red-shirt activist, with lèse majesté and offences under the Computer Crime Act.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>About 20 military and police officers, led by the Technology Crime Suppression Division, arrested Tom at his house in Phetchaburi Province on Wednesday.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Tom’s wife told Prachatai that he was charged over his speeches at two red-shirt rallies, held by Kotee Red Guard, in November 2013. </div></div></div>

<div>Thai police on Friday filed more charges against former Education Minister Chaturon Chaisang. He is now facing a maximum jail term of 14 years.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The police charged Chaturon under Article 14 of the Computer Crime Act for his Facebook posts of his anti-coup statement.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>He was previously charged with defying the junta’s order and with sedition under Article 116 of the Criminal Code. </div>

<p>Finnwatch Researcher Andy Hall Detained in Cell by Thai Court on Natural Fruit Charges Prior to Court Approval for Industry Bail Out, Passport Confiscated.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2931/14434350516_e07035d072_z.jpg" /></p> <p><span><em>Andy Hall and his team, with TFFA/TTIA representatives, in front of the Prakanong Court today prior to Hall's detention.</em></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>

<div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <div>Sombat Boonngamanong, a prominent red-shirt figure, on Friday morning said he wants to be part of the reconciliation process, asking his followers to be more subtle when showing their opposition to the junta.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>About a hundred people visited the red-shirt leader at the Bangkok Remand Prison at 11 am on Friday. </div></div>

<div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The Criminal Court on Monday for the second time rejected a bail request of Apichat (last name withheld due to privacy concerns). </div></div>

<div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Phuket police have issued summonses for Reuters and two Reuters reporters, one of whom is a member of the team which won Pulitzer, to hear charges with respect to a story which accused the Thai Navy of involvement in human trafficking of ethnic Rohingya refugees. The content was similar to that which was previously used to bring charges against Phuketwan journalists, according to Phuketwan.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> </div> <div> </div>

<div>Interview with the Phuketwan journalists who face charges for reporting the trafficking of Rohingya refugees</div> <div> </div>

<p>Reporters Without Borders reiterates its call for the withdrawal of all proceedings against two journalists who are to be tried tomorrow in the southwestern province of Phuket&nbsp;<a href="http://en.rsf.org/thailand-royal-thai-navy-sues-two-23-12-2013,45666.html" target="_blank">on charges of contravening the Computer Crimes Act and defaming the Royal Thai Navy</a>&nbsp;for quoting from a&nbsp;<em>Reuters</em>&nbsp;special report on the smuggling of Rohingya refugees from neighbouring Burma.</p>