Arnon Nampha

Poet and lawyer imprisoned for royal defamation after peacefully calling for the law’s repeal

A poet and human rights lawyer, Arnon Nampha is serving a cumulative sentence of almost 19 years in prison after multiple convictions of violating Article 112 of the Thai Criminal Code that criminalises royal defamation (lèse-majesté) in connection with his peaceful expression, including his calls for the repeal of the very law he was convicted of violating. Nampha’s imprisonment is emblematic of the Thai authorities’ use of defamation laws to silence dissent throughout the country.