Thailand's Red Shirt leader Jatuporn Prompan on 14 December was sentenced by the Supreme Court to 12 months imprisonment on defamatory charges against former Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Thailand's Red Shirt leader Jatuporn Prompan (Photo: VNA)

Prompan was leader of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, also known as the Red Shirt movement.

The court said Prompan had made remarks defaming others and incited unrest, however it did cut his original custodial sentence in half.

Former Thai PM Vejjajiva sued Prompan for accusing him of having ordered fatal crackdowns on Red Shirt demonstrators during a street protest against his government in 2009 and of stalling the submission of a petition seeking a pardon for former PM Thaksin Shinawatra.

The Red Shirt leader has been detained in a Bangkok prison as he was sentenced to a year in jail in another defamatory lawsuit also brought forward by Vejjajiva.

Meanwhile, former spokeswoman of the Pheu Thai Party Sunisa Tiwakorndamrong has been charged with inciting unrest for criticising Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha on social media.

(Source: VNA)