Thailand: Webmaster sentenced to 13 years in prison

Thanthawut Taweewarodomkul, who operated an anti-government website, has been sentenced to 13 years in prison on charges of lese majeste and breaching the Computer Crime Act. He was arrested in April 2010, during the anti-government Red Shirt protests, on the charge that his website carried an article that insulted the king. His sentencing comes at a time when another website editor, Chiranuch Premchaiporn, faces a long prison sentence for not being quick enough to take down comments critical of the king that had been left on her website by a user.

Thailand: Webmaster arrested for “insulting the monarchy”

The manager of a popular Thai news website was detained earlier today on charges of insulting the monarchy and violating the Computer Crime Act. Chiranuch Premchaiporn was returning from an Internet freedom conference in Hungary when she was arrested at Bangkok’s international airport. Police Lieutenant Colonel Thanomsit Wongwijarn said that police had received a complaint in early 2009 about messages posted on Chiranuch’s site Prachatai.