The criminal court in Thailand will issue a verdict at 10:00 a.m. on August 22 for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. This is the first in a series of upcoming judgments involving the Shinawatra family.
Thaksin has been accused of committing a crime while in office - a serious crime in Thailand, which could be punished with up to 15 years in prison if convicted - in connection with a 2015 interview with the media during his time in exiledity.
Mr. Thaksin denied all wrongdoings and repeatedly swore allegiance to the Thai king.
The case stems from the royal army's complaint that overthrown both Mr. Thaksin and his sister Yingluck Shinawatra in the 2006 and 2014 coup d'etat.
Both prosecutors and Mr. Thaksin can appeal the verdict on August 22.
When asked about the case at a public event last month, Thaksin said: "I'm not worried."
The verdict on Mr Thaksin will be made a week before another major verdict involving his daughter - the Prime Minister, who is suspended from Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
Ms. Paetongtarn, 39, is facing the risk of being removed from office by the Thai Constitutional Court for allegedly violating ethics in a phone call with President of the Cambodian Senate Hun Sen.
Mr. Thaksin's daughter emphasized that the phone call with Mr. Hun Sen was part of an effort to calm the diplomatic crisis between Thailand and Cambodia. The crisis later escalated into a five-day armed conflict.
Although Mr. Thaksin does not have any official role in the government, he is still active in political activities and is considered the force behind the ruling Pheu Thai party.
Thaksin returned to Thailand in 2023 after 15 years of exiledity abroad to serve an eight-year prison sentence for abuse of power and conflict of interest. Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn has reduced Thaksin's sentence to 1 year.
However, Mr. Thaksin did not have to spend an entire night in prison but was transferred to the VIP treatment area of a police hospital for medical reasons. He stayed there for 6 months and was later pardoned.
The Thai Supreme Court will issue a verdict in September to determine whether that hospital stay is counted as a sentence and whether Mr. Thaksin is likely to be imprisoned to complete his sentence.
