Thai lawyer Sirikan "June" Charoensiri is representing 14 student activists as part of her work with Thai Lawyers for Human Rights. Because of her work in that case, representing her clients' interest in a way that any lawyer should, June has now been charged with two criminal counts, is facing a pre-trial detention and potential prison time.

We are asking for the National Council for Peace and Order, the Thai Royal Police, the Thai Public Prosecutor and Ministry of Justice, and the Thai Foreign Ministry to intervene in order to ensure these charges are dropped, and that June's work is allowed to continue. The rule of law works only when criminal defendants have access to competent and independent lawyers.  June's case originated from her work to ensure that Thailand's laws are followed. She should not be penalized for that work. 

On 25 June 2015, 14 students staged demonstrations. They were arrested the next day and Sirikan followed the students to the Bangkok Military Court to hear the charges against them. As the case was not open to the public, and the students faced immediate detention, they left their belongings with June, their lawyer, in her car.

After the court hearing, Pol. Lt. Gen. Chayapol Chatchaiyadetch asked to search June's car in  order to obtain the students' belongings, particularly their mobile phones. He did not have a warrant, so June refused. The police did not answer simple questions, like why they had not requested the students' phones during their time under arrest - over 7 hours when the police had the students and their phones under their immediate control. All June was asking for was compliance with Thai law, and the use of a warrant to search her car.

Instead, the police impounded her car overnight until they could get a court warrant.

The next day, June went to the Chanasongkram Police Station to file a complaint against the Pol. Lt. Gen. for illegally impounding her car. The police refused to accept the complaint. Instead, they threatened her, telling her that if she filed a complaint they would counter with legal action.

True to their word, the police have now charged June with two criminal cases, both stemming from this incident. In the first case, June is charged with "refusing to comply with a  competent official and concealing evidence."  This is a direct retaliation for her refusal to allow Thai police to search her car without a warrant. June's actions were not criminal; she was simply asking the police to abide by the law. That is something we should always expect of the police. The police cannot be allowed to break the law under the guise of enforcing it.

In the second case, June is charged with giving "false information concerning a criminal offense" (Articles 172 and 174 of the Criminal Code). This is a blatant attempt to silence June's complaint against Pol. Lt. Gen. Chayapol Chatchayadetch. 

We are asking that the Thai government and relevant government officials intervene to stop the harassment of Sirikan "June" Charoensiri. We ask that you:

1. Ensure these charges are immediately dropped;

2. Protect June and her colleagues at Thai Lawyers for Human Rights from further police harassment;  

3. Follow up on the complaint against Pol. Lt. Gen. Chayapol Chatchayadetch.