The Supreme Court has decided to defer its ruling in a case against four red-shirt co-leaders yesterday, after the accused confessed to their roles in a violent protest outside the home of the late Privy Council president, Prem Tinsulanonda, in 2007.
Veerakarn Musikapong, Nattawut Saikuar, Vipoothalaeng Pattanapoomthai and Weng Tojirakarn, of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), withdrew their statements and confessed to organising an illegal gathering, causing unrest and encouraging others to resist and obstruct state officers.
After the confessions, the Supreme Court decided to announce its ruling at a later date.
The four were first sentenced to four years and four months in jail back in September 2015. The Appeal Court then handed them four-year jail sentences, which the court then reduced to two years and eight months as their testimonies were deemed useful by the court.
Following the decision, a group of lawyers lodged a petition, seeking their release on a surety of 500,000 baht each as they challenged the ruling in the Supreme Court.
Veerakarn, Nattawut, Vipoothalaeng and Weng were among the seven people brought to trial in connection with the violence that broke out outside Gen Prem's Si Sao Thewes residence to pressure him to resign as the chief royal adviser.
The other three were Nopparut Worachitwutthikul, leader of the 2006 White Pigeon group, Weerasak Hemathulin and Wachai Naputtha.
They were accused of gathering in a group of more than 10 people, leading a group of people to use force and weapons to cause chaos in city areas, colluding to fight authorities, and defying authorities' instructions to disperse.
The violence broke out after red-shirt protesters marched from Sanam Luang to Gen Prem's home to demand his resignation, as they believed the late privy council president was behind the September 2006 coup.
After the court announced a delay in the ruling, Nattawut said he and fellow red-shirt co-leaders would like to apologise as the outbreak of violence outside Gen Prem's residence caused injuries among both protesters and police officers on duty.
