The Appeal Court yesterday upheld a lower court's 10-year lese majeste prison sentence for Somyot Prueksakasemsuk, former editor of Voice of Taksin magazine.
Somyot Prueksakasemsuk, former editor of 'Voice of Taksin' magazine, smiles before a court hearing. The hearing threw out his appeal against the 10-year prison term he is serving for lese majeste. Tawatchai Khemgumnerd
Somyot was convicted under Section 112 of the Criminal Code over two articles written by an author using the pseudonym Jit Polachan. The articles, which were published in the February and March 2010 editions of the magazine, were deemed insulting to the royal family.
The Criminal Court on Jan 29, 2013, sentenced him to 10 years in prison.
The jail term came on top of a one-year sentence earlier handed down by the court for defaming Gen Saprang Kalayanamitr, a former assistant army chief.
The sentence was denounced by rights advocates as a major setback for freedom of expression in the country.
Somyot took his case to the Appeal Court. The court's judges yesterday upheld the lower court's decision and rejected Somyot's appeal, saying his new evidence did not undermine the case the prosecution had built against him.
Somyot, 53, has been in custody for three and a half years. He said he would fight the ruling in the Supreme Court.
No relatives or lawyers representing Somyot were present in court to hear the ruling.
His wife, Sukunya, said relatives were not informed about the hearing.
"My son checked the court website in the morning but could not see it on the schedule. We were both at work, so did not attend court," she said.
She said Somyot had not been informed of when the hearing would take place when she visited him at the Bangkok Remand Prison on Thursday.
Vasant Panich, Somyot's lawyer, said the court normally informs defendants and their lawyers.
Mr Vasant said he did not receive a court notice in advance of the ruling. "This procedure seems unusual from normal practice," he said.