Thai Appeals Court upholds former red-shirt leader sentence

BANGKOK, Dec 9 -- The Court of Appeals Tuesday upheld the 12 month prison sentence for red shirt leader Arisman Pongruangrong with no suspension for defaming former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. Abhisit, the leader of the Democrat Party, filed the defamation lawsuit against Arisman, a red shirt political movement leader, for his speeches at the Democracy Monument and Government House on October 11 and 17, 2009, accusing the then prime minister of borrowing money for corruption, delaying a petition for the royal pardon of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and ordering Thai army soldiers to kill members of the public. The Court of First Instance sentenced Arisman to 12 months in jail and did not suspend it as the royal institution was mentioned, which made the case an instance of lese majeste. It also ordered Arisman to have the ruling published in two newspapers for seven consecutive days. The Appeal Court upheld the sentence and rejected Arisman's request for reduced punishment and suspension because he, as a politician, failed to demonstrate proper judgment on his own behaviour and refrain from defaming others. Thanadet Puangpoon, Arisman's lawyer, said he sought his client's temporary release on bail of 500,000 baht. (TNA)