KHON KAEN - The Appeals Court on Tuesday dismissed student activist Jatupat Boonpattararaksa’s petition to overturn the provincial court's revocation of his bail in a lese majeste case on Dec 22.
Athipong Phupew, a lawyer for Mr Jatupat, better known as Pai Dao Din of Dao Din student movement, filed the petition with the Region 4 Appeals Court seeking to overturn the Khon Kaen provincial court’s order to withdraw his client's bail for violating his release conditions.
Mr Jatupat was arrested in Chaiyaphum province on Dec 3 for sharing an offensive link about His Majesty the King on Facebook and was released on bail two days later. He was brought back to jail after police alleged one of his Facebook posts ridiculed and insulted law enforcement officers.
The court on Tuesday upheld the lower court’s judgement, saying the 25-year-old anti-junta activist and law student had shown his behaviour in social media since he was granted bail could be construed as an attempt to challenge state power and to show disrespect for the rule of law. It was likely Mr Jatupat would continue to act that way.
About 30-40 members of Dao Din group were present to hear the court’s ruling and to cheer up Mr Jatupat, who was later brought back to the Khon Kaen Correctional Institute.
Mr Athipong said he would submit a new bail request on Wednesday, citing a need for his client to sit for a computer skills exam on Jan 16, which was his final examination before graduation. The family would also add 100,000 baht to the 400,000-baht surety in the latest bail plea, he added.