This Thai Activist Politician Has Been Sentenced To Six Years In Prison For Criticizing The Monarchy
29-year-old Rukchanok Srinork, also known as “Ice”, rose to fame as an activist during the mass, pro-democracy protests that swept Thailand from 2020 to 2021.
![This Thai Activist Politician Has Been Sentenced To Six Years In Prison For Criticizing The Monarchy](/content/images/size/w1200/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/thai-activist-rukchanok-srinork-ice-jail-criticize-monarchy.jpg)
This Thai activist-turned-politician has been sentenced to six years in prison for criticizing the monarchy.
![ukchanok srinork ice thailand](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ukchanok-srinork-ice-thailand.jpg)
29-year-old Rukchanok Srinork, also known as “Ice”, rose to fame as an activist during the mass, pro-democracy protests that swept Thailand from 2020 to 2021.
![Rukchanok Srinork thai activitist criticizing monarchy](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/rukchanok-srinork-thai-activitist-criticizing-monarchy.jpg)
She is a member of the progressive Move Forward party, which won the Thai elections earlier in 2023 but was blocked from taking power.
![Rukchanok Srinork thailand activitist](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/rukchanok-srinork-thailand-activitist.jpg)
![thai Rukchanok Srinork](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/thai-rukchanok-srinork.jpg)
She was sentenced on Wednesday Dec. 13 over two posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, in 2020, before she joined Move Forward.
![Rukchanok Srinork thailand](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/rukchanok-srinork-thailand.jpg)
In one post, she said that the government was using its distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine to promote the monarchy’s image.
![thailand activitist Rukchanok Srinork](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/thailand-activitist-rukchanok-srinork.jpg)
The other post was a repost by another user that was “graphically worded”, according to Reuters.
![ukchanok srinork ice criticize monarchy](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ukchanok-srinork-ice-criticize-monarchy.jpg)
In Thailand, it is illegal to insult, defame or threaten the king, the queen and other members of the royal family under the lèse-majesté law.
![thailand king vajiralongkorn queen suthida](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/thailand-king-vajiralongkorn-queen-suthida.jpg)
The court said that Ice had defamed the monarchy and showed “great malice” towards the king and sentenced her to six years.
![ukchanok srinork ice thailand activist](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ukchanok-srinork-ice-thailand-activist.jpg)
She has since been released on bail for 500,000 baht, almost US$14,000, on the condition she does not repeat the offense and says she intends to appeal.
![thailand Rukchanok Srinork activist](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/thailand-rukchanok-srinork-activist.jpg)
Move Forward had run on a campaign of promoting democracy, removing the military’s influence on politics and revising the lèse-majeste law, which carries sentences of three to 15 years.
![Rukchanok Srinork activist of thailand](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/rukchanok-srinork-activit-of-thailand.jpg)
More and more activist have been accused of “insulting” the monarchy in Thailand in recent years.
![Thailands King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/thailands-king-maha-vajiralongkorn-and-queen-suthida.jpg)
Rights groups say at least 262 people have been charged with insulting the monarchy since 2020.