Update: The hearing has concluded and the verdict will be read out on April 30th.

The trial of Chiranuch Premchaiporn, director of one of Thailand’s most popular alternative news sites who was arrested in October 2010 continues on Tuesday, 14 February following a 5-month recess. Jiew, as she is more commonly known, was charged with Lèse Majesté and intermediary liability under Thailand’s 2007 Computer Crime Act when comments left on an article published on her site Prachatai were deemed to be defamatory against Thai royalty. She faces a combined sentence of 82 years for these two alleged crimes. Her trial first began February 2011, was suspended until September, and was again put on hold until this week.

Jiew has been an outspoken proponent for free expression online for many years. We conducted an interview with her about how things unfolded shortly after her arrest. EFF will be following the proceedings closely. We stand with Freedom Against Censorship Thailand (FACT) in condemning Jiew’s arrest and demand that Thai authorities immediately drop all charges against her.

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For more updates and to sign a petition to Thailand's National Human Rights Commission, visit FACT's website.

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