The Criminal Court has postponed to next year the trial of key members of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), an anti-election election group, charged with sedition and preventing the 2014 election.  

On Friday, 2 October 2015, the Criminal Court on Ratchadaphisek Road, Bangkok, postponed the preliminary hearing in the case against four leading members of the PDRC: Sonthiyan Chuenruthainaitham, 53, Sakonthi Patthiyakul , 38, Seri Wongmontha, 66, and Sombat Thamrongthanyawong, 64, the current president of the political reform committee of the National Reform Council (NRC). 

The Court postponed the hearing to 26 February 2016 after Winroj Bhumisawad, at the request of the defence lawyer for the four, who said that he has not finished collecting evidence and testimony of his clients. 

The prosecutors made no objection to the lawyer’s request and agreed with The court.     

The four leading figures of the PDRC are charged under Article 116 of the Criminal Crime Code, the sedition law, under the 2007 Organic Act on Elections, and series of other offences under Articles 113, 117, 209, 210, 215, 362, 364, 365 for preventing the general election in early 2014, trespassing into government buildings, fomenting instability and conflict by using arms and force during the height of the PDRC protest ahead of the general election in early 2014.

On Friday, three of the four were present in the courtroom while the lawyer and Sakonthi Patthiyakul, were absent.

Sombat Thamrongthanyawong, one of the four, told the Court that he did not commit the crimes as indicted by the prosecutors but merely gave speeches on the PDRC stages during the anti-election protest.

On 30 September 2015, Khaosod English reported that around 20 anti-establishment red shirts came to the Attorney General’s Office to demand an explanation for the delay in prosecuting 31 leaders and activists of the PDRC, which campaigned against the elected administration of Yingluck Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister, from November 2013 to May 2014.

“We are here to ask, where is that rebel Suthep?” read one placard held by a Redshirt, referring to PDRC leader Suthep Thaugsuban.

Recently on 28 September 2015, the prosecutors of the Criminal Court indicted eight of the PDRC members under Article 76 of the 2007 Organic Act on Elections and Article 152 of the 2007 Organic Act on the Election Commission for barricading election venues during advanced voting in early 2014. 

In addition to being charged with preventing the 2014 election, the seven of the eight are also indicted for violating the 2005 Emergency Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situation, which was at the time declared by the Yingluck government, for calling on others not to cast their votes.  

The eight were granted bail of 100,000 baht by the Criminal Court.

Earlier in July 2015, the Criminal Court dropped charges against PDRC demonstrators who barred the Din Daeng District Office in northern Bangkok on 2 February 2014 to prevent the distribution of ballot papers to polling stations.

The court ruled that there was no evidence that the PDRC demonstrators used padlocks to barricade the gate of the District Office as indicted.

The Criminal Court also cited an earlier ruling of the Constitutional Court that the PDRC demonstrations at the time of the general election in February were lawful.

On 2 February 2014, 175 polling stations could not open because PDRC protesters prevented the transportation of ballot papers from the Din Daeng District Office.