Overturn sentence against woman human rights defender Pimsiri ‘Mook’ Petchnamrob and other pro-democracy defenders

GENEVA, Switzerland – We, the undersigned civil society organizations, condemn the sentencing of Thai woman human rights defender Pimsiri 'Mook' Petchnamrob alongside Arnon Nampa, Somyot Pruksakasemsuk, and Phromsorn "Fah" Weerathamjaree.

We urge Thai authorities to immediately overturn the sentences against them. We urge Thai authorities to stop using charges under Article 112 of the Criminal Code - or the lèse-majesté (royal defamation) law - to target individuals who are merely peacefully exercising their fundamental rights and freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, and association.

Court decision

On 20 February 2026, the Ratchada Criminal Court delivered its verdict.

The court sentenced the four defendants to four years in prison, but reduced their sentence to two years and eight months due to their useful testimony, without suspension, under Section 112 of the Criminal Code.

The court held that the defendants’ speeches criticizing troop transfers and the legislation transferring the King’s personal assets into personal property constituted royal defamation. Each defendant was also fined 10,200 baht (approx. USD320) for violations under the Emergency Decree and for using a loudspeaker without permission.

Following the filing of the bail application, Pimisri was granted bail along with Somyot and Phromsorn. However, for Arnon Nampa, this ruling constitutes his 11th conviction under Article 112, raising his total accumulated prison sentence across all cases to more than 31 years and 9 months.

The organisations stated that the sentence is inconsistent with Thailand’s commitment to promoting and protecting human rights both domestically and internationally, particularly in its capacity as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). The group further noted that the ruling comes ahead of Thailand’s upcoming Universal Periodic Review, a UNHRC mechanism which asks member states to undergo a peer review regarding its human rights track record.

What happened

In November 2020, the defendants organized a public gathering on Phahonyothin Road and in front of the 11th Infantry Regiment in Bang Khen District without notifying authorities, with around 2,000 people in attendance.

During the event, the group gave speeches that the authorities perceived to be misrepresenting the monarchy.

In November 2021, Pimsiri was indicted on a total of 10 charges, including under Articles 112 (lèse-majesté), 116 (sedition), and Section 215 (participation in an unlawful assembly) of the Criminal Code. She was also charged with breaching COVID-19 restrictions.

Following Pimsiri’s indictment, the court granted her temporary bail, subject to two conditions: 1) she must avoid any actions considered detrimental to the monarchy, 2) and she must obtain the court’s permission before travelling abroad.

Despite submitting multiple requests between 2022 and 2024, Pimsiri was consistently denied permission to leave Thailand, preventing her from travelling abroad. As a result, she was unable to attend a regular session of the UNHRC in Geneva, thereby disabling her from engaging in international human rights advocacy.

The continued refusal to grant her permission to travel abroad constitutes a reprisal for her engagement with the United Nations.

Pimsiri’s trial began in June 2025 at the Bangkok Criminal Court. In her testimony, she firmly denied advocating for monarchy reforms and making personal remarks about members of the Thai royal family. She clarified that her statements were made in the context of human rights advocacy and that she merely quoted a UN Special Rapporteur’s assessment that lèse-majesté laws are incompatible with democratic principles and international human rights standards.

On 11 July 2025, UN experts expressed a serious concern over the ongoing judicial proceedings against Pimsiri, calling on the Government of Thailand to drop all charges against her and other human rights defenders who took part in pro-democracy protests.

The experts also reiterated their call for Thailand to amend or repeal its lèse-majesté laws, stressing that the country must stop criminalizing individuals engaged in the legitimate and vital work of protecting civic space and human rights.

Endorsed by:

• ALTSEAN-Burma
• ASEAN Youth Forum
• ASEAN SOGIE Caucus
• Asia Democracy Network
• Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
• CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation
• Front Line Defenders (FLD)
• International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
• International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)
• Milk Tea Alliance (Friends of Myanmar)
• Milk Tea Alliance Calendar Team
• New Bloom (Taiwan)
• Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet)
• World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders