The Military Court has issued an arrest warrant for Patnaree Charnkij, mother of a pro-democracy activist, for lèse-majesté. Her lawyer said authorities issued an arrest warrant without a summons.  

 

On Friday, 6 May 2016, Khaosod reported that the Bangkok Military Court issued an arrest warrant for Patnaree Charnkij under Article 112 of the Criminal Code, the lèse-majesté law. Patnaree is the mother of Sirawit Serithiwat, an activist from Resistant Citizen, an anti-junta advocacy group.   

 

BBC Thai reported that Patnaree has acknowledged the warrant and will report to the police.

 

“I am so frightened. It is unacceptable. Now I’m at work and waiting for a lawyer, then I will report in,” BBC Thai quoted Patnaree as saying.

 

BBC Thai also reported it was the Technology Crime Suppression Division who asked the Military Court for the warrant. Pol Lt Col Sanpetch Noothong, an official from the Division, said that Patnaree committed lèse-majesté in collusion with Burin Intin, another member of Resistant Citizen who has been recently charged with lèse-majesté in connection with his Facebook chat.

 

BBC Thai later reported that Patnaree, along with her lawyers, reported to the police and offered 500,000 baht as bail.

 

Teerapan Pankiri and Anon Nampa, the lawyers for Patnaree, said that she is certainly not involved in any alleged lèse-majesté conversation with Burin because she never personally met or talked to him before. According to BBC Thai, Anon also pointed that there was a legal shortcut in this case since, firstly, the Military Court issued the warrant on an official holiday and, secondly, the authorities never issued her with a summons.