New York, May 8, 2026 - The Columbia Law School Human Rights Institute has joined Robert and Ethel Kennedy Human Rights and Thai Lawyers for Human Rights in submitting a petition to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on behalf of five Thai men detained after participating in a peaceful, pro-democracy protest in Bangkok.

The petition concerns Aekachai Hongkangwan, Francis Boonkueanun Paothong, Suranat Panprasert, Mr. Keng*, and Mr. Kwan*, who were sentenced to lengthy prison terms following a protest on October 14, 2020. During the protest, the Thai queen’s motorcade passed through the area and was delayed for approximately six minutes. The men were later charged with attempting “an act of violence against the liberty of the Queen,” under Section 110 of the Thai Criminal Code, a rarely used offense carrying a 16-year mandatory minimum prison sentence.

Although the men were initially acquitted by the trial court, they were convicted on appeal. Four were sentenced to 16 years in prison, while Mr. Hongkangwan was sentenced to 21 years and four months. They have been detained since September 2025 and are currently appealing their convictions before Thailand’s Supreme Court.

The petition urges the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to declare the men’s detention arbitrary and calls for their immediate release. It argues that the prosecutions and sentences are incompatible with Thailand’s international human rights obligations, including protections for freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and fair trial rights.

“Sentencing peaceful protesters to 16 and 21 years in prison for a six-minute delay to a royal motorcade is a grave abuse of law and a direct attack on fundamental freedoms,” said Tejal Jesrani, Acting Director of the Columbia Law School Human Rights Institute. “Thailand should end this arbitrary detention and stop using prison sentences to punish pro-democracy voices.”

“Mr. Hongkangwan, Mr. Paothong, Mr. Panprasert, Mr. Keng, and Mr. Kwan went out on October 14, 2020 to exercise a fundamental human right, the freedom to participate in a peaceful protest,” said Catherine Cooper, Asia Staff Attorney at Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights. Akarachai Chaimaneekarakate, Assistant Director and Advocacy Lead at Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, added “Thailand cannot continue to champion human rights abroad while failing to uphold those same standards at home.”

The case arises in the broader context of Thailand’s repression of pro-democracy protesters and critics of the government and monarchy. Since the 2020–2021 protest movement, nearly 2,000 people have reportedly faced criminal charges in connection with protests or expression deemed critical of the authorities, including under Thailand’s lèse-majesté law, Section 112. The use of Section 110 in this case stands out as the first known application of the offense in response to the recent pro-democracy movement.

For further information on the petition, please see the redacted public version of the petition, as well as RFK Human Rights’ related press release, litigation page, and Civic Space Case Tracker page

*Names changed for privacy.

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Columbia Law School Human Rights Institute advances international human rights through education, advocacy, fact-finding, research, scholarship, and critical reflection. The Institute works in partnership with advocates, communities, and organizations pushing for social change to develop and strengthen the human rights legal framework and mechanisms, promote justice and accountability for human rights violations, and build and amplify collective power.

The Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that works across the courtroom, the boardroom, and the classroom to build a more just and peaceful world. Inspired by the legacies of Senator Robert and Ethel Kennedy, we work with international and domestic partners to protect fundamental human rights. We pursue strategic litigation to hold governments accountable at home and around the world; foster a social good approach to business; and train the next generation of changemakers through our human rights education programs.

 Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) was founded on May 24, 2014, two days after Thailand’s military coup, by a group of human rights lawyers and social activists. TLHR provides free legal and litigation assistance to people facing prosecution or other rights violations for exercising their civil and political rights. It also documents human rights violations, maintains a public database of political and rights-related cases, and advocates nationally and internationally for democracy, fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law in Thailand.