Phuketwan Journalists Found Not Guilty
Austrailan editor Alan Morison and his Thai reporter colleague Chutima Sidasathian, have been found not guilty in this morning’s highly anticipated verdict, reports the Guardian.
Morison and Sidasathian acquitted. Image Credit: laffy4k (Flickr)
The Phuket based journalists stood trial on charges of defamation against the Royal Thai Navy, after they republished a passage of a Reuters report on the topic of trafficking Rohingya Muslim refugees and the alleged involvement of Thai naval forces.
Upon hearing the acquittal, Human Rights Watch director Phil Robertson tweeted from the court:
“Hooray! Both charges dismissed against #Phuketwan journalists Alan and Oi free to go. Big victory for media freedom in #Thailand says @hrw
