High-profile activists denied bail on charges they insulted the king and awaiting trial in prison are afraid for their safety behind bars.
A rights attorney who broke the longstanding taboo on even discussing criticism of the monarchy described in a handwritten letter this morning how two of the movement’s leaders refused to be removed from their units by prison personnel, who said they were there to take them for late-night COVID-19 tests.
“Last night, at around 9:30pm, a group of prison officers attempted to take Pai [Jarupat Boonpattaraksa] and Mike [Panupong Jadnok] outside their wing. We refused to comply as it was late at night,” Arnon wrote in a letter later posted by an associate to social media.
He said the prison officers returned several times with more men, once at 11:45pm and two more times past midnight. Some were seen dressed in blue outfits…
