Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) in a letter to Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of Thailand has expressed concern over the detention of six online media activists including human rights lawyer Prawet Praphanukul and activist Danai Tibsuya under lèse majesté law.

PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali in his letter urged the government of Thailand instead of punishing activists; drop all the charges against six of them immediately and to create a climate in the Kingdom of Thailand where freedom of expression thrives.

According to Article 19, six were arrested for the series of Facebook posts and are currently being held on remand.

Praphanukul, a human rights lawyer who has previously defended other activists facing lèsemajesté charges, was also arrested and charged under multiple sections of the law on April 29, 2017. If he is convicted in multiple charges, may face maximum 50 years of imprisonment.

Since the 2014 military coup there has been an alarming increase in arrests and prosecutions under the lèsemajesté provision of the Criminal Code.