BANGKOK — Three human rights activists were acquitted Tuesday of criminally defaming a Thai poultry company with social media posts that supported other activists who had accused it of abusive labor practices, according to the defendants and their lawyer.
They were charged under a law that could have led to a 42-year prison sentence if convicted.
The company, Thammakaset, said the defendants’ social media comments linked indirectly to what it called a defamatory video produced by a human rights group, Fortify Rights, containing an interview with a worker who claimed abusive working conditions. In total, the case involved 30 counts of criminal defamation.
The company’s representative, Chanchai Pheamphon, did not answer telephone calls seeking comment and did not reply to text messages.
Several Asian countries have criminal defamation laws. Critics say such defamation cases are often…
