Name: Wut (pseudonym) (Age 50)
Occupation: Security Guard
Case: Lèse Majesté (Article 112) and Computer Crimes Act (Article 14 (3)) for posting 12 Facebook messages in 2021
Date of Imprisonment: 27 March 2023
Location of Imprisonment: Klong Prem Prison

‘Wut’, a security guard, is a political prisoner convicted of violation of Article 112. He has never shown his face to the public. An ordinary citizen who lived from hand to mouth, he lived with his partner. They helped support each other and lived a simple life. A native of Petchabun, he graduated with a vocational certificate as an electrician from an educational institution in Phitsanulok Province. He landed his first job as an electrician in an industrial factory where he worked for one year. He then changed to work on the production of rice mill machines for export. He worked the second job for over 10 years.

His interest in politics began when he was around 20-years-old. An avid reader of political news, he joined political demonstrations in his spare time. This included the anti-coup protests in 2006, the protests led by the Red Shirts in 2010, and the latest round of protests since 2020 which demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a new Constitution, the reform of the monarchy, etc.

On 27 March 2023, he was indicted in the Minburi Criminal Court in relation to posting 12 Facebook messages. He was denied bail even though he had requested leave from work in advance to be able to attend all the court hearings. The Court claimed since the offence was committed multiple times and continuously without any fear of the law and given the high penalty rate of such case, if provisionally released, the court feared the ‘defendant might flee.’ As a result, Wut has been imprisoned since then.

Meanwhile, his attorney tried to challenge the court’s denial of his bail and requested bail again several times. He was held in pretrial detention for ten months before he was convicted.

The witness hearings were scheduled for 22 – 24 November 2023. On the first day of witness hearings, the Court informed Wut that if he decided to plead guilty, the Court might decide to offer him a lesser sentence. After consulting with his attorneys, Wut decided to recant his previous statements and pled guilty to all charges. The Court then ordered court officials to explore and monitor his behavior before delivering the verdict on 21 December 2023.

On 21 December 2023, upon his arrival in the courtroom, the judge told Wut and his attorney that after their internal consultation, no lesser sentence could be delivered in the case since the posted messages were related to a Democratic rule with the King as Head of State. After consulting with his attorney, Wut decided to recant the statement he made on 22 November 2023 to plead guilty and now pleaded not guilty to the charges, claiming that he did not post the alleged messages.

Nonetheless, the judge viewed that since Wut had already recanted his previous statements and pled guilty as charged, there was no reason for him to recant his statement again to plead not guilty. The judge therefore refused to allow him to recant his statements on 22 November 2023 and scheduled to deliver the verdict on 14 February 2024. On the judgment day, the Court convicted Wut in relation to all 12 messages. He was sentenced to three years imprisonment for each count, or message, altogether 36 years. Given his guilty plea, the penalty was reduced by half to 12 years and 72 months (18 years).

Initially, Wut was the only political prisoner at the Minburi Remand Prison. As a result, he was subject to harassment and bullying by fellow inmates including physical assault and being extorted for security fees for which he was supposed to pay with readymade food and other various items.

After receiving the 18-year-sentence, Wut was transferred to Klong Prem Central Prison where convicted prisoners with more than 15 years are held.