The former leader was jailed and faces prosecution under Thailand's strict laws that protect the monarchy from criticism.
Thai police have charged former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra with insulting the monarchy over comments he made about 10 years ago.
Officials said Tuesday that the complaint relates to a 2015 interview Mr. Thaksin conducted while in South Korea. The possible charges come just weeks before he could be released on parole. It is not yet clear whether the case will proceed, but the jailed billionaire is the latest politician to be charged under the country's strict lese majeste laws.
The complaint was filed by the military junta that ran Thailand after overthrowing the government led by Thaksin's sister Yingluck Shinawatra in May 2014. Mr. Thaksin has repeatedly pledged allegiance to the monarchy.
Prayuth Pecharakul, a spokesman for the attorney general's office, told reporters that the long delay in responding to the complaint was due to Thaksin's previous absence from the country.
backroom deal
The controversial billionaire, who twice served as prime minister but was ousted in a 2006 coup, returned from exile in August last year. He was immediately jailed on charges of corruption and abuse of power.
The 74-year-old man was taken to a police hospital almost immediately and underwent at least two surgeries.
Prayuth said prosecutors will wait for the police investigation to be completed before deciding whether to proceed with the case.
Thaksin denies the charges and added that he has written to the attorney general asking for fair treatment.
Insulting the king is a serious crime in Thailand, and the constitution stipulates that the king must be held in a position of “veneration.”
The lese majeste law is one of the strictest in the world, with penalties of 15 years in prison for each act deemed an insult to the monarchy. Critics say the law is being used as a weapon to silence dissent.
Since 2020's youth-led pro-democracy street protests, Thailand has seen a sharp rise in charges under the law, known as “112'' after the relevant section of the criminal code. At least 260 people have recently been charged under this law. Year.
Mr. Thaksin's return to Thailand coincided with the return of his Pro-Thai Party to power in a controversial deal with the military's ruling party.
This timing sparked rumors of a backroom deal to resolve Thaksin's legal problems. The speculation increased further when the king reduced his prison sentence from eight years to one.
Mr. Thaksin is a country loyalist whose populist policies in the early 2000s endeared him to millions of rural Thais and who has spent much of the past two decades trying to remove him and his allies from power. – Criticized by military organizations.
