The transfer of remanded Ratsadon core leader Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak, from Bangkok remand prison to the detention centre in Pathum Thani province on Monday night, is in line with the Corrections Department’s regulations for treating those sentenced to detention by the court, said Mr. Thanakrit Jitareerat, secretary to Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin on Tuesday.
Parit was found guilty of contempt of court by the Criminal Court on Monday and sentenced to one-month detention, but the sentence was commuted to 15 days because of his confession and because he has no previous convictions.
Thanakrit said that, once Parit has completed the 15-day detention, he will be transferred back to Bangkok remand prison.
Commenting on Parit’s claim that prison officers prevented his mother from sending him textbooks, so he can study while in detention, Thanakrit said that it might be a misunderstanding on the detainee’s part, saying that anything sent to a person in prison, by his or her relatives, will first be subjected to searches by prison officers.
The United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration voiced suspicion on Twitter on Monday night over Parit’s transfer to Pathum Thani, claiming that neither his lawyer nor his family were notified.
This afternoon, Chana Songkhram police will seek a court’s permission to detain protester Chukiat Saengwong, who is charged with lèse majesté, for allegedly vandalising the portrait of HM the King in front of the Supreme Court during a protest by the ReDem group on Saturday night.
Chukiat was arrested on Monday night.
