The Bangkok South Criminal Court confiscated the passport of British migrant-rights activist Andy Hall and barred him from leaving the country days before he faces formal indictment on defamation and computer crimes charges. -
Mr Hall was granted bail after surrendering to the court on Wednesday, five days before he is scheduled to appear at his indictment hearing in a case brought by prosecutors on behalf of Natural Fruit Co.
A statement released by the activist said he pleaded innocent to the charges, which carry a maximum penalty of seven years in prison.
Finnwatch, the Thai Tuna Industry Association (TTIA) and Thai Union Group prepared 300,000 baht as surety for Mr Hall's release.
As a condition for bail, the court ordered Mr Hall's passport confiscated and imposed a travel ban on him leaving the country.
Mr Hall said he would petition the British embassy to have diplomatic officials seek the return of his passport.
He called the passport seizure and travel ban "a form of harassment and intimidation".
"Ever since the beginning of this campaign of judicial harassment, Andy Hall has shown nothing but respect towards the rule of law and the judiciary in Thailand, alongside his willingness to respond to allegations against him in a court of law," Sonja Vartiala, executive director of Finnwatch, said in the statement.
The charges in the case relate to publication of a Finnwatch report detailing alleged human rights violations at Natural Fruit's pineapple-processing plant in Prachuap Kiri Khan province. Mr Hall coordinated the field research for the report and conducted interviews with workers.
This case is one of four filed by Natural Fruit against Mr Hall. The other criminal defamation case, relating to an Al Jazeera news interview given by him in Myanmar, was dismissed by the Appeal Court in September, but will be appealed to the Supreme Court.
The cases have been widely criticised as an attempt to silence him.