He questioned Thailand's monarchy dressed as Harry Potter. Now he's in jail for 34 years

The past six years have seen the most extensive use of lèse majesté in Thai history, in response to unprecedented student protests in 2020 which for the first time called for a public discussion of the role of the monarchy. Two hundred and ninety-four people, including 20 under the age of 18, have been prosecuted, receiving prison sentences of up to 50 years. Dozens of them are still on trial.

Most of those charged under this law are denied bail and kept in jail, even though their court cases can last several years. The standard defence of the law given by Thai officials is that it "reflects the culture and history of Thailand, where the monarchy is one of the main pillars of the nation, highly revered by the majority…