Thai court dismisses defamation case against UK activist

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dtaai-maai
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Thai court dismisses defamation case against UK activist

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http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-29813569
A Thai court has dismissed a criminal defamation case against a British labour activist who criticised conditions in the food industry.

A Thai pineapple company brought the case against Andy Hall after a report he wrote which alleged labour abuses by the firm and others.

The court said the investigation into the case did not meet certain legal requirements.

Mr Hall faces more charges of violating Thailand's computer crimes act.

Last year, Mr Hall authored a report for Finnwatch, a Finland-based watchdog, alleging poor labour conditions in seafood and pineapple export companies in Thailand.

The allegations include wages below the legal minimum, long working hours at factories and illegally confiscating passports.
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Re: Thai court dismisses defamation case against UK activist

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Probably a political decision as the whole jurisprudence system is under the spotlight here at the minute and this decision smacks of appeasement and an effort to appear benevolent and not dictatorial, as usually a guy like this would be strung-up and left to experience the renowned 'Bangkok Hilton' hospitality, though he's up for more charges....so, not off-the-hook yet.

Smell's of PR to me so there isn't one more bad story to dent the tourism industry image. I mean, since when have activists been exonerated here when they take on big business? The local environmental campaigners that do this usually end up dead ffs.
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Re: Thai court dismisses defamation case against UK activist

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Isn't he up on another charge next week?
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Re: Thai court dismisses defamation case against UK activist

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LABOR RIGHTS ADVOCATE STRIKES BACK AGAINST PROSECUTORS, POLICE

A labor rights activist who left Thailand under mounting legal pressure announced Tuesday he will file criminal complaints against Thai authorities for wrongly bringing a criminal case beyond Thai jurisdiction against him.

Through local legal representatives, Andy Hall, who quit Thailand last year after many years advocating for migrant workers, announced he will file misconduct complaints against nine state prosecutors and a senior Bang Na district policeman. The 10 were involved in prosecuting him for criminal defamation over a 2013 interview he gave to Al Jazeera in Myanmar.

That case went forward based on a complaint from the Thai fruit juice company behind at least four lawsuits brought against Hall for a Finnish watchdog’s report on its labor abuses.

The Supreme Court dismissed the case in November, ruling that because the Al Jazeera interview took place in Myanmar, it was beyond the jurisdiction of a Thai court. It also cited a flawed and unlawful interrogation by police investigators.

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/2017 ... rs-police/
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