Thailand’s Supreme Court has ruled that former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra must serve a one-year prison sentence stemming from past convictions, reigniting debate over whether the influential politician received preferential treatment during his return to the country.
Thaksin came back to Thailand in 2023 after more than a decade of self-imposed exile to face an eight-year sentence in three cases involving corruption and abuse of power. The court reviewed how officials handled his return, amid public concern about irregularities in the process.
After spending less than a day in prison, Thaksin was transferred to a private suite at Bangkok’s Police General Hospital, officially for medical reasons. Later that year, King Maha Vajiralongkorn commuted his sentence from eight years to one, and Thaksin was granted parole after six months in the hospital.
The unusual circumstances surrounding his detention have drawn widespread scrutiny. Critics question whether Thaksin’s reported health problems were genuine and whether he received special treatment not available to ordinary prisoners.
Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that Brussels is preparing its 19th package of sanctions against Russia, which is set to include restrictions on several banks in two Central Asian countries.
