Who is Netiporn Sanesangkhom, the 28-year-old activist who died in Thai prison?

The former English tutor had previously been detained in 2022 between May 3 and August 4, during which she went on a hunger strike for 64 days in protest.

The activist had seven cases registered against her, which included lèse-majesté (insulting the monarchy) violations. Her organisation has called for the scrapping of Thailand’s lèse-majesté law, one of the strictest in the world. This law protects the palace from criticism and carries a jail sentence of up to 15 years for each violation.

Netiporn was initially held for one month on a contempt of court charge related to a scuffle with court guards in 2023. Her pre-trial detention was then extended after a court revoked her bail from a separate royal insult case stemming from a protest in 2022.

Netiporn “Bung” Sanesangkhom, C, poses for photographs with members of the “Bad Student” group during a protest against Thailand’s government and calling for monarchy reform, in Bangkok, Thailand, on September 19, 2020. (Reuters File Photo)

More than 272 people have been charged with insulting the monarchy since 2020, with 17 of them currently jailed in pre-trial detentions, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights. Two other activists from the Thaluwang group, who have been held in pre-trial detention since February, are also on hunger strikes. Two other members of the group have fled the country.

Expressing hIs condolences, Amnesty International Thailand Director Piyanut Kotsan said, “This is a shocking reminder that Thai authorities are harshly denying pro-democracy activists their freedom in an apparent bid to silence the peaceful expression of dissent. Many are currently detained, with their right to temporary release on bail denied.”

(With inputs from Reuters and The Guardian)