The Bangkok Military Court yesterday dismissed a case against 19 leading red-shirt members charged with defying the ban on political gatherings by launching a centre to monitor the 2016 charter referendum.
The court's decision follows the National Council for Peace and Order's (NCPO) revocation of its order prohibiting political gatherings of five or more people.
The NCPO's legal team filed legal action against 19 leading members of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) after they gathered at the Imperial department store in Lat Phrao on June 5, 2016 to open a centre to monitor the Aug 7 charter referendum for fraud.
The NCPO suspected there were political motives behind the move. Police raided the centre and closed it down. The Crime Suppression Division handled the case before passing it on to military prosecutors.
Red-shirt leaders Veerakarn Musikkapong, Korkaew Pikulthong, Jatuporn Prompan, Nathawut Saikuar, Tida Tawornset, Weng Tojirakarn and 12 UDD members showed up at the court yesterday to hear the decision.
Mr Jatuporn said NCPO leader Prayut Chan-o-cha had revoked the order on political gatherings of five or more people on Dec 11, 2018. This meant the NCPO's order no longer applied, which was grounds for the dismissal of the case.
Also yesterday, the Appeal Court upheld a lower court's ruling against 10 people, including a former senator, for obstructing the Feb 2, 2014 election in Phatthalung. The lower court found the defendants guilty over their roles during the height of the defunct People's Democratic Reform Committee Bangkok shutdown.
However, the Appeal Court revised the jail sentences given to the defendants. Thawee Phumsingharat, former senator for Phatthalung, was sentenced to three years by the lower court but he was sentenced to five years by the Appeal Court.
Supolchai Khongkhiew was sentenced to two years by the lower court, but the Appeal Court handed down a jail term of three years and 16 months.