From Nick Nostitz:
From the Bangkok Post:
Chiranuch Premchaiporn, webmaster of independent Thai online news portal Prachatai, was granted bail this afternoon after prosecutors eventually filed a lawsuit against her under the Computer Crimes Act. Ms Chiranuch had to wait nearly four hours before bail was approved with a 300,000 baht bond, calculated on her salary as a nursing sister, for not removing commens posted on a web-board deemed offensive to the monarchy fast enough to satisfy the government censors. The Criminal Court set May 31 for the first hearing to check defence and prosecution witness lists. She is accused of allowing lese majeste comments on Prachatai’s online discussion board. If convicted she faces up to 50 years’ imprisonment. She was first arrested in March last year at a time when the government was very touchy about references to the monarchy. The cyber law, which was introduced during the administration of Gen Surayud Chulanont, was first successfully prosecuted against blogger Suvicha Thakor, who received a 20-year sentence in April last year. He has applied for a royal clemency and is waiting for the result. At least six other people have been arrested under this law, but prosecutors have yet to arraign them.