The Appeal Court on Wednesday affirmed the decision of the Court of the First Instance, finding Surapak P. not guilty of creating a lèse majesté Facebook page, parodying the oath of succession of the monarch. 

Saudi Arabian lèse majesté convict Ibrahim A. was released from jail last week after receiving a royal pardon. He was sentenced to two years in jail for posting rumours about the king’s health on an investors’ webboard in August 2010.  He is about to be apart from his Thai wife and young son because of deportation. 

Reporters Without Borders has asked the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to change its approach to updating the Computer Crime Act of 2007. The law already authorizes the government to arrest journalists and bloggers for political reasons. If a newly proposed amendment were adopted, the government would have even more latitude to muzzle the independent and opposition media.

On 25 Dec, the Criminal Court found Katha Pachariyaphong guilty on two counts under the 2007 Computer Crimes Act and sentenced him to 6 years in prison, but reduced the prison term to 4 years due to his guilty plea.

The Criminal Court is likely to deliver its ruling by the end of this year on a case in which a stockbroker has been prosecuted for posting comments on Same Sky or Fah Diew Kan webboard in 2009.