All nine suspects facing charges arising from a violent confrontation at the Samran Rat police station in Bangkok on Wednesday night have been granted bail.
The Criminal Court had agreed earlier on Friday to a police request that the seven men and two women be detained further while police complete their investigation. But it subsequently approved a defence request that the accused be released on bail of 25,000 baht each, to be put up by the Ratchaprasong Fund.
The demonstrators are facing charges of destruction of public property, trespassing at night and with weapons, and obstructing officials in the exercise of their duties, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights. All nine were released late Friday afternoon from the police stations where they had been held.
The accused include Tantawan “Tawan” Tuatulanon and Orawan “Bam” Phuphong, who earlier this year staged a 52-day hunger strike to press for the release of political prisoners and the abolition of Section 112 of the Criminal Code, the lese-majeste law.
In a letter issued through a lawyer, one of the accused said that police officers used violence while making arrests on Wednesday night. Many said they were beaten and stomped on.
A policeman who tried to contain the situation was hit in the head and required seven stitches, further escalating the violence.
About 20 protesters had gathered at the Samran Rat station to demand justice for a 15-year-old girl who has been detained for more than 40 days on a charge of royal defamation under Section 112.
Angered that officers from the station were preparing to lay an additional charge against the teen, they splashed and sprayed paint at the station in Phra Nakhon district.
The group caused significant damage by breaking a glass door and defacing walls, passages and stairs at the station as well as police vehicles, police said.
The teenager known as Thanalop or “Yok” has been held at the Ban Pranee Juvenile Vocational Training Centre for Girls in Samphran district of Nakhon Pathom province since her arrest on a warrant for lese-majeste on March 28.
Prosecutors on Friday were seeking to have her detained for another 15 days while they continue gathering evidence in the case against her.
Yok released a statement on Facebook on Thursday saying that she was not asking for bail as she did not recognise the court process, and would not accept the lawyers that the court has appointed.
