Thailand - February 2025

Former opposition members face lifetime ban from politics

In February, the National Anti-Corruption Commission announced plans to indict 44 former Member of Parliaments (MPs) from the now-dissolved Move Forward Party (MFP) for sponsoring a bill in parliament to reform Thailand’s lese majesty law. Among them, 25 are now part of MFP’s successor, the People’s Party. If found guilty, they could face a lifetime ban from politics. The indictment comes after the Constitutional Court dissolved MFP in August 2024. The accused MPs maintain that their support for amending the lese majesty was legal, emphasizing that lawmakers have the authority to propose new laws. The commission will now question the 44 MPS before referring the case to the Supreme Court or public prosecutors.

Sources: Human Rights Watch, The diplomat, Bangkok Post, Thai PBS, International IDEA