Court sentences Netiwit to suspended prison term for draft evasion

MGR Online•General•1d ago

Reader Briefing

Samut Prakan District Court sentenced Netiwit Chotiphatphaisan to a six-month prison term, suspended for one year, for evading the military draft.

•Netiwit Chotiphatphaisan was found guilty of evading the military draft under Sections 27 and 45 of the Military Service Act.
•The Samut Prakan District Court handed down a 6-month sentence, suspended for 1 year because Netiwit Chotiphatphaisan had no prior prison record.
•The court rejected the argument that religious beliefs and conscience serve as legal exceptions for avoiding military service.
•The verdict was delivered on July 20, 2026, following a request by the defendant's lawyer to move the date forward.

•Samut Prakan District Court sentenced Netiwit Chotiphatphaisan to 6 months in prison, with the sentence suspended for 1 year.
•Samut Prakan District Court ruled that religious beliefs and conscience are not exceptions for committing a legal offense.
•Netiwit Chotiphatphaisan had previously requested the Samut Prakan District Court to ask the Constitutional Court to rule on whether the Military Service Act 1954 was constitutional.
•The Samut Prakan District Court had previously postponed the verdict on November 3, 2025, and January 19, 2026, while awaiting a Constitutional Court ruling.
•A hearing for the Constitutional Court's ruling was scheduled for July 20, 2026, and a verdict for the case was originally set for September 28, 2026.
•The lawyer for Netiwit Chotiphatphaisan requested the court read the verdict on July 20, 2026, and the plaintiff did not object.
•The court determined that Netiwit Chotiphatphaisan violated Sections 27 and 45 of the Military Service Act.

Full article content is available on the original source.

Netiwit Chotiphatphaisan(เนติวิทย์ โชติภัทรไพศาล)

A defendant who engaged in civil disobedience by refusing to enter the military draft based on conscience.

Samut Prakan District Court(ศาลแขวงสมุทรปราการ)

The court that presided over and delivered the verdict in the military draft evasion case against Netiwit Chotiphatphaisan.

Constitutional Court(ศาลรัฐธรรมนูญ)ℹ️

The court petitioned to rule on the constitutionality of the Military Service Act 1954.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights(ศูนย์ทนายความเพื่อสิทธิมนุษยชน)

The Facebook page that posted details regarding the court proceedings of Netiwit Chotiphatphaisan.

Military Service Act 1954(พระราชบัญญัติรับราชการทหาร พ.ศ. 2497)

The law under which Netiwit Chotiphatphaisan was found guilty, specifically Sections 27 and 45.