Court in Thailand rules sticker on portrait defamed king

BANGKOK (AP) — A court in Thailand sentenced a political activist to two years in prison on Friday for violating a law against defaming the monarchy by affixing a sticker on a portrait of the country’s king.

The conviction for lese majeste appeared to be the first among scores of cases filed against protesters since the government revived prosecutions under the law in November 2020. Since then, it has charged at least 173 people with violating it, said Krisadang Nutcharas of the legal aid group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.

Narin Kulpongsathron was accused of putting a sticker on a portrait of King Maha Vajiralongkorn in front of the Supreme Court on Sept. 19, 2020, the anniversary of a military coup that ousted the elected government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The sticker had no obvious political significance, but parodied the logo of the popular Yakult yogurt drink….