The release of Thailand’s incarcerated former Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, is imminent.
Thaksin, 74, was sentenced to eight years in prison for abuse of power before a royal pardon reduced the term to one year. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin informed reporters that Thaksin had been granted parole.
Srettha declared, “It’s official,” emphasising that all proceedings had been conducted in adherence to legal regulations. “Upon his release, he will lead the life of a typical citizen.” “The past remains in the past.”
After returning to Thailand in August of the previous year, after spending over 14 years in exile, Thaksin was immediately brought before the court and sentenced to eight years in prison on charges of abuse of power.
Thaksin’s Journey: From Incarceration to Parole
Thaksin was rushed to the hospital following a solitary night of incarceration due to an exacerbation of his blood pressure.
The monarch granted him a royal pardon shortly thereafter, which reduced the sentence to one year.
Thaksin was one of 930 inmates granted parole on Tuesday, for age and health reasons, according to Thai media, which previously cited Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong. Thaksin was expected to be released after February 17.
A populist platform that appealed to rural Thais, who had been neglected by the country’s governing elites for decades, propelled Thaksin to power in 2001. Five years later, he was re-elected by a significant margin, but the military quickly overthrew him in a coup.
Thaksin, who was also charged with grave human rights violations during a “drugs war” and a violent conflict in the predominantly Muslim southern provinces of the country, which claimed the lives of thousands of people, was ultimately found guilty of abuse of power and exiled, primarily in Dubai.
Srettha is a member of the Pheu Thai Party, which is led by Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the youngest daughter of Thaksin. Following the election in May of the previous year, in which the progressive Move Forward Party secured the majority of votes but encountered opposition from influential factions associated with the military and the traditional elite, a government was formed.
Srettha stated on Tuesday that Thaksin was a man who had contributed to the nation’s progress and could provide his daughter with “sound counsel” to “serve the country.”
