PATTAYA - Four red-shirt co-leaders imprisoned for disrupting the 2009 Asean Summit in this resort city have been temporarily released on bail during the appeal process.
The Pattaya court on Friday approved the bail for Worachai Hema, Payap Panket, Somyot Prompa and Nisit Sinthuprai, co-leaders of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship, on a surety of 1.5 million baht each.
The former three were released at 9.30pm on the same day but the latter remained in jail on a Military Court detention order.
Another three convicted in the case -- Samrerng Prachamrua, Wanchana Kerddee and Singthong Buachum -- are also seeking bail and the court will decide on their requests on Monday.
Apart from the seven granted and seeking bail, the six other defendants in this case are Arisman Pongruangrong, Pichet Sukjindathong, Sakda Noppasit, Pol Lt Col Waipot Aparat, Nopporn Namchaingtai and Wallop Yangtrong.
On March 21 this year, the Appeal Court upheld the lower court’s ruling sentencing each of the 13 defendants to four years in prison and a 200-baht fine in connection with a riot that disrupted the Asean Summit in the resort city in 2009.
The court found them guilty as charged for their role in the protest at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort Hotel, which forced the evacuation of regional leaders and the postponement of the summit.