Mr. Somyot, a labor rights activist, was jailed in 2011 for his part in publishing two articles that were said to defame the king.
He did not write the articles, but they appeared in a magazine he edited, which has since ceased publication.
During his trial, Mr. Somyot openly challenged Thailand’s lèse-majesté laws, arguing that they were an impediment to free expression. Thailand’s Constitutional Court rejected his reasoning, saying that insulting the king “is considered an act that wounds the feelings of Thais who respect and worship the king and the monarchy.”
Mr. Somyot was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in jail.