Hej

Juntan får hård kritik ifrån HRW för att dom framför falska åtal mot människorättsadvokater för att trakassera och hämnas mot dessa för att dom företräder sina klienter.

HRW uppmanar länder som USA att officiellt kräva att Juntan slutar förfölja sina kritiker.

Brad Adams, Asien Director på HRW anser att "Thailändska myndigheter bör sluta använda falska åtal för att skrämma advokater som utmanar regeringens övergrepp och försummelse."

FN: s grundläggande principer om advokaters roll föreskriver att regeringarna bör se till att advokater kan utföra sina yrkes funktioner utan hot, hinder, trakasserier eller otillbörlig inblandning.

Dessutom så bekräftar FN: s deklaration om människorättsförsvarare förbudet mot repressalier, hot och trakasserier av någon som tar till fridfulla och lagliga åtgärder mot kränkningar av de mänskliga rättigheterna, både inom och utanför utövandet av sitt yrke. Det skyddar också allas rätt att lämna formella klagomål om påstådda kränkningar av mänskliga rättigheter.

"Thailands människorättskris efter kuppen verkar ha något slut i sikte", sade Adams. "I stället för att upprätthålla rättsstaten underminerar Juntan den genom att åtala advokater för att göra sitt jobb som försvarare av klienter och vid rapportering av myndighetsmissbruk."

https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/03/04/Thailand-rights-lawyers-harassed-charged

March 4, 2016

Thailand: Rights Lawyers Harassed, Charged

Accused After Reporting Police Abuse, Misconduct

(New York) – Thailand’s government should stop bringing trumped-up criminal charges against human rights lawyers to harass and retaliate against them, Human Rights Watch said today. Thailand’s friends, including the United States, should publicly call on the military junta to stop persecuting its critics.

On February 9, 2016, Bangkok police brought two charges against a human rights lawyer, Sirikan Charoensiri, connected to her representation of activists in June 2015. On February 19, the deputy national police chief, Gen. Sriwara Rangsipramanakul, publicly threatened to charge another lawyer, Chuchart Kanpai, with defamation and making false statements for alleging that his client, Bilal Mohammad (also known as Adem Karadag), was tortured into confessing to the August 2015 bomb attack at Bangkok’s Erawan Shrine, which killed 20 people.

On January 28, police brought similar charges against another lawyer, Benjarat Meethien, after she said that Thai authorities used false evidence to accuse her client, Thanakrit Thongngernperm, of plotting subversive attacks during the December 2015 “Bike for Dad” cycling event to commemorate the king’s birthday. Officials initiated the charges after Benjarat refused to withdraw complaints against Maj. Gen. Wijarn Jodtaeng, the chief legal officer of the military’s ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), and senior police officers for malfeasance, defamation, and making a false accusation against Thanakrit.

“The Thai junta is not only running a police state, it is now retaliating against the lawyers who are defending victims,” said Brad Adams, Asia director. “Thai authorities should stop using bogus prosecutions to intimidate lawyers who challenge the government’s abuse and misconduct.”

The police charged Sirikan, a prominent member of Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), with refusing to comply with an order of an official and making a false statement to police. The first charge was triggered by Sirikan’s refusal to allow police to search her car and confiscate mobile phones belonging to her clients, activists from the New Democracy Movement, without a warrant on June 27, 2015. The second was a reaction to her complaint of official malfeasance regarding police seizure of her car on the morning of June 27. Sirikan was ordered to report to the public prosecutor’s office in Bangkok’s Dusit district for indictment on March 4.

Since the May 2014 military coup, Thai authorities have frequently responded to reports of human rights violations with a pattern of denials and counter-accusations to claim that those making allegations against the military government are not acting in good faith and intend to distort the truth, make false statements to the public, and damage Thailand’s international reputation.

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Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha arrives at a weekly cabinet meeting at Government House in Bangkok, Thailand on February 2, 2016.

The United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers provide that governments should ensure that lawyers are able to perform their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance, harassment, or improper interference. In addition, the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders affirms the prohibition against retaliation, threats, and harassment of anyone who takes peaceful action against human rights violations, both within and beyond the exercise of their professional duties. It also protects everyone’s right to file formal complaints about alleged violations of human rights.

“Thailand’s post-coup human rights crisis seems to have no end in sight,” Adams said. “Instead of upholding the rule of law, the junta is undermining it by prosecuting lawyers for doing their jobs defending clients and reporting abuses by the authorities.”

Med vänlig hälsning isan lover

Hej

Även https://thaipoliticalprisoners.wordpress.com/2016/03/05/harassment-on-human-rights/ tar upp Human Right Watch senaste kritik mot Juntan angående trakasserierna och dom fabricerade åtalen ifrån Juntans mot människorätts Advokater.

Harassment on human rights

5032016

This release refers to the case of a lawyer working with Sirikan Charoensiri, being harassed by authorities for defending human rights:

FORWARDED PRESS RELEASE
AHRC-FPR-007-2016

A Press Release from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)Thailand: Update on Sirikan Charoensiri’s case: Inquiry official will file the charge to await the prosecution order

3 March 2016, Ms. Sirikan Charoensiri received a summon warrant to report herself to the inquiry official at the Chana Songkram Police Station in order to be handed over to the special prosecutor in litigious division at the 3rd Sub District Court (Dusit) on 4 March 2016. The lawyer team will submit a request to postpone the date to 9 March, the date which was formerly fixed, and Sirikan will give an additional statement to the inquiry official on 5 March and 7 March at the Police Station.

Ms. Sirikan Charoensiri, a lawyer from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, was accused by police officer for refusing to comply with a competent official (Article 368 of the Criminal Code) and concealing evidence (Article 142 of the Criminal Code). This was related to the incident which Sirikan did not allow the officers to search her car without warrant in the night of 26 – 27 June 2015. She had been informed of the charge on 9 February 2016.

On 1 March 2016, Sirikan’s lawyer team had negotiated with the inquiry official of the Chana Songkram Police Station that Sirikan will give an additional statement as an alleged offender. In her defense, Mr. Kritsadang Nutcharus, one of the lawyers, will give a statement as a witness on 5 March 2016 at 9.00. Also, Mr. Anon Nampa and Ms. Ida Arunwong will give a statement as witnesses on 7 March 2016. The witness statement will be submitted alongside with the file to the prosecutor on 9 March 2016

However, today (3 March 2016) Sirikan received a summon warrant calling her to report to the inquiry official in order to be handed over to the special prosecutor in litigious division at the 3rd Sub district Court (Dusit) on 4 March 2016 at 10.00 , together with the inquiry official’s file requesting the prosecution order. Her lawyer team will file a request to have the dates fixed on 5, 7, and 9 March 2016 as originally agreed, and will file a motion to drop her charges to the prosecutor.

It should be noted that so far there is no update on the offence of giving false information concerning a criminal offence, which may likely cause damages to the other person or the public (Articles 172 and 174 of the Criminal Code) in relation to Sirikan having filed a complaint for malfeasance against police officers for illegally impounding her car.

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The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) works towards the radical rethinking and fundamental redesigning of justice institutions in order to protect and promote human rights in Asia. Established in 1984, the Hong Kong based organisation is a Laureate of the Right Livelihood Award, 2014.

Med vänlig hälsning isan lover

Ny kritik ifrån HRW mot juntan.

Thailand: Rights Lawyers Harassed, Charged

Harassment on human rights