The Criminal Court on Monday fined six alleged members of the so-called "Thai Federation" movement 10,000 baht each for illegally staging a rally on the skywalk over Pathumwan intersection on Dec 5, 2018.
It passed sentence on five men - Somchai Kittichai, Thenaphan Maikaew, Sommai Phaengsri, Amornthep Wongsurin and Thanachart Samathi - and one woman, Khom Phaengsri.
The six were charged by the state with instigating unrest and being members of a covert criminal organisation in violation the Criminal Code, illegally holding a public gathering in violation of the Public Assembly Act of 2015 and breaching the Computer Crime Act.
The court was told that on Oct 5, 2018 the six defendants and many accomplices still at large staged a gathering on the skywalk over Pathumwan intersection to persuade people to join the "Thai Federation" movement led by Wuthipong Kochathamkhun, alias Koh Tee, who had fled the country.
Prosecutors alleged the movement was a covert organisation set up with the objective of subverting the monarchy, the government and the then-National Council for Peace and Order, and changing the country's form of administration from a democracy with the King as head of state to a federation headed by a president.
They said Thanachart broadcast the gathering live on Facebook to the public.
The court found that prosecutors had not provided proof the defendants had instigated unrest, were members of a covert criminal organisation or violated the Computer Crime Act.
However, they were found to have violated the Public Assembly Act of 2015.
The court convicted and fined them 5,000 baht each for gathering within 150 metres Sra Pathum Palace, and 5,000 baht each for not notifying the authorities 24 hours in advance of the the gathering, as required by the law. They were each fined 10,000 baht in total.
The six defendants had been released on bail and were all present to hear the court's decision.