The former Prime Minister of Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra, will be released on parole, after six months of detention in a prison then a hospital, which he could leave as early as next weekend, the minister said on Tuesday February 13 of Justice.
The 74-year-old billionaire "is included in the group of prisoners (released) in critical condition or aged over 70", Tawee Sodsong told journalists. "Around 930 prisoners, including him, will have their sentences suspended (...) He will be released automatically after six months" of imprisonment, he said.
Returning to the kingdom in August after fifteen years of exile to escape several convictions for corruption and abuse of power, Thaksin Shinawatra benefited from a royal pardon which made it possible to reduce his prison sentence from eight to one year. He spent a few hours in prison before being transferred to a police hospital in Bangkok due to health problems, which required at least two surgeries in recent months.
Central character in Thailand
Thaksin Shinawatra is a central figure in political life in Thailand, a country he led from 2001 to 2006, until an army coup of which he was the bête noire. From abroad, the popular leader, accused of populism by his detractors, continued to exert influence through his family and his party, now called Pheu Thai, which regained power last August.
Thaksin Shinawatra is also the subject of lese majeste charges for comments made in 2015, but Thai justice has not yet decided what action to take in this case.
With AFP
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