泰国网编未删冒犯王室评论获刑

泰国一家政治网站的主编因为没有及时删除对王室不敬的评论而被判入狱8个月，缓期执行，同时还被判处2万泰铢（约合人民币4000元）的罚款。据悉，这位主编以计算机犯罪罪名被起诉，原因是该网站有十条对王室不敬的评论流传了20天，法官认为主编没有及时履行职责。泰国的“冒犯君主法”为保护王室而制定，最高处罚刑期可达20年，但一直被批评人士认为是政府企图控制言论自由的手段。此前曾有一名60岁的男子因发送对王室不敬的短信而被判入狱20年。这名男子于本月初在狱中死亡，再一次引发了人们对于“冒犯君王法”的讨论。本周二，泰国2.7万人签名递交请愿书，要求泰国议会对该法进行改革。

An editor of a Thai political website has been given an eight-month suspended sentence for failing to remove comments deemed insulting to the monarchy.

Chiranuch Premchaiporn had faced up to 20 years in jail over the 10 posts, by other people, on the Prachatai website.

The judge said the verdict was based on a comment left on the site for 20 days.

The case has been seen as a test of freedom of expression in Thailand, amid debate about the use of laws that ban criticism of the monarchy.

Ms Premchaiporn, convicted under computer crimes law, was given a one-year suspended sentence that was immediately reduced to eight months. She was also fined 20,000 baht ($625).

She "did not perform her duty in a timely manner" and "allowed the inappropriate posting to be on the website for too long", AP news agency quoted Judge Kampol Rungrat as saying.

"I expected to be acquitted, but I found the judge's verdict logical and reasonable," Ms Premchaiporn told reporters. "However, I still think the verdict will have an impact on self-censorship."

The verdict came amid ongoing discussion over Thailand's lese majeste laws, which are intended to protect the monarchy.

Critics say the laws have been increasingly politicised and used to curb free speech.

The discussion intensified after a Thai man in his 60s who was jailed for 20 years for sending text messages deemed offensive to the royal family died in prison earlier this month.

On Tuesday a petition carrying 27,000 signatures urging reform of the laws was submitted to the Thai parliament, said an AFP news report.