Red shirt leader jailed for insulting former Thai PM

January 28, 2015 05:56 pm | Updated 07:36 pm IST - BANGKOK

Thailand's Criminal Court found Jatuporn Prompan (R), chairman of the red shirt group, guilty of insulting former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Thailand's Criminal Court found Jatuporn Prompan (R), chairman of the red shirt group, guilty of insulting former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

A Thai court on Wednesday handed a two-year jail term to a leader of the "red shirt" opposition movement for defaming former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Thailand's Criminal Court found Jatuporn Prompan, chairman of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), or red shirt group, guilty of insulting Mr. Vejjajiva in two speeches in October 2009.

Red shirt leader Jatuporn has been in legal hot water before and has faced a number of court cases, including for slander.

"On October 11 the accused went on stage at Democracy Monument and spoke about Mr. Abhisit, and on October 17, he spoke again outside Government House," a court official said.

"After reviewing the evidence the court found his words against Mr. Abhisit to be untrue."

Mr. Jatuporn was granted bail of 200,000 baht ($6,000). His lawyer, Wiyat Chatmontree, said he would appeal the ruling.

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