Thai Activist Sentenced to 50 Years for Insulting Monarchy

A Thai court has sentenced a man to 50 years in jail for defaming the monarchy on Facebook, marking the highest ever sentence under the country's lese majeste law. The law criminalizes any negative comment about the monarchy and has been widely criticized. The defendant's sentence was increased to 50 years from an original 28 years, with the judge citing multiple comments on Facebook. The revival and extensive use of the lese majeste law since student-led protests three years ago have sparked calls for sweeping reforms to the monarchy, with the Constitutional Court set to rule on whether to dissolve a party over its call to amend the law.