The Criminal Court on Wednesday sentenced five leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) to 1-2 years in jail for breaking into and damaging the state-run NBT TV station in 2008.
Somkiat Pongpaibool was given two years, with one-year terms for Anchalee Paireerak, Puwadol Songprasert, Yutthiyong Limlertwathee and Chitiphat Limthongkul.
There was evidence that Somkiat ordered the raid, but no proof the other defendants were more than participants, the court said.
The court found them guilty of leading demonstrators to break into the National Broadcasting Service of Thailand (NBT) premises on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road on Aug 26, 2008. At that time, the now-defunct PAD, the yellow-shirt movement, was demanding the ouster the Samak Sundaravej government backed by former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
The court heard evidence that the protesters damaged the power supply, computers, security cameras and broadcasting systems of the TV station, and forced staff to leave the building.
The court was considering the defendants' request for release on bail pending appeal.
In 2018 the Supreme Court sentenced about 80 PAD demonstrators to 3-8 months in jail for the raid.