Thai court acquits 5 who were accused of blocking the queen’s motorcade during 2020 protests

By JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI
Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — A court in Thailand has acquitted a student activist and four other people of impeding the motorcade of the country’s queen during pro-democracy demonstrations in 2020, an offense that could have seen them sentenced to 16 years in prison or even the death penalty. The Bangkok Criminal Court verdict on Wednesday was rendered in a case brought under a little-used law that targets actions intended “to harm the liberty of the queen, the heir apparent and the regent.” The verdict represented a rare legal victory for Thailand’s pro-democracy movement, which has often faced an uphill battle in the conservative courts, which are widely seen as representing a bulwark against political and social change.