REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BANGKOK -- A Thai court on Tuesday rejected a petition to free a critic of Thailand's junta who was arrested in hospital, a leader of an anti-government activist group said.
The military seized power in a May 2014 coup. Since then, it has pursued perceived critics of the monarchy and stifled freedom of expression, detaining activists, journalists and opposition politicians at military camps for attitude adjustment sessions.
Sirawit Serithiwat, the activist, said the Ratchada Criminal Court on Tuesday rejected a petition he filed for the release of Thanet Anantawong, 25.
Reporters were not allowed into the court session.
Thanet was taken from a hospital on Sunday by undercover police officers while he awaited an operation, Human Rights Watch said in a statement on Tuesday.
"Thailand's junta has reached a new level of ruthlessness by snatching an activist from his hospital bed," said Brad Adams, Asia Director at Human Rights Watch.
Thanet's medical treatment had been completed when he was detained, junta spokesman Colonel Winthai Suvaree said.
"He was detained after his medical check-up was done and he was paying for his hospital fees," Winthai told reporters.
"In any case, as we were concerned about the suspect's health, we invited doctors to check him and found that he did not have a serious medical condition."
Thanet would receive adequate medical attention while in the care of the authorities, he added.
Police say Thanet has been charged under Article 116 of Thailand's criminal code - the equivalent of sedition - and the wide-ranging Computer Crime Act, according to an arrest warrant issued for him.
The police allege that he violated the act by re-posting a graphic on Facebook linking some top government officials to alleged corruption involving the financing of a park built by the military to honour past kings.
In a separate case, Thanakorn Siripaiboon, a factory worker, was arrested at his home in a Bangkok suburb last week and charged with commenting on a post related to King Bhumibol Adulyadej's dog, said his lawyer Anon Numpa.
Thailand's strict royal defamation law makes it a crime to insult the monarchy and each offence committed is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
Thanakorn faces up to 37 years in jail for posts he made on social media, if found guilty.
He is also accused of sharing an infographic on Facebook linked to corruption allegations surrounding the park.
"Since Thailand's coup, it hasn't been hard to get thrown in jail for criticizing the junta," said Adams. "Now, all you have to do is press 'Like' on your Facebook page."
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