Lawyers for Lawyers today called on the Thai authorities to immediately drop criminal proceedings against human rights lawyer Sirikan Charoensiri.
On 2 February 2016, Sirikan Charoensiri received two summons to appear at the Chanasongkram Police Station on 9 February 2016 to be charged with two offences under the Criminal Code of Thailand: “giving false information regarding a criminal offence” and “refusing to comply with the order of an official”.
The charges appear to relate to the circumstances surrounding Sirikan Charoensiri’s provision of legal aid to 14 student activists, who were arrested on 26 June 2015 after carrying out peaceful protests calling for democracy and an end to military rule.
On 27 June 2015, police officers searched the car of Sirikan Charoensiri after presenting her with a court order. During the search, the police seized mobile phones belonging to the 14 student activists, which had been placed in the human rights lawyer’s car before the student activists were detained one day earlier. The search came after Sirikan Charoensiri had tried to lodge a complaint at Samranrat Police Station against police officers who had confiscated her car without an official arrest warrant on 26 June 2015. The Officers at Samranrat Police Station refused to accept Ms. Charoensiri’s complaint and threatened to initiate legal proceedings against her in case she would maintain her complaint.
Lawyers for Lawyers will continue to closely monitor the case of Sirikan Charoensiri.
