The Supreme Court has upheld a ruling by the Appeal Court sentencing two security guards of the now-defunct People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) to one year each in prison and suspend them from voting for five years, in a 2014 election obstruction case.
Nawakorn Khonsri and Prasert Duangthip were acquitted in a lower court but the Appeal Court later reversed that ruling and handed them both the jail terms and voting bans.
Yesterday's ruling found the pair guilty of obstructing the election on Jan 26, 2014.
It said the two men, along with other purported members of the PDRC, gathered that day outside the Din Daeng district office in Bangkok barring ballot boxes from being distributed to polling stations.
Nawakorn, who was released on bail previously, showed up at the court yesterday to hear the ruling while Prasert has jumped bail.
Despite the Constitution Court ruling on Feb 2, 2014 that the election held that year was unconstitutional because it was not held in 28 constituencies on the same day as the general election, the Supreme Court said that decision came after the two guards committed misconduct.
As such, the Feb 2, 2014 ruling could not apply to their act in obstructing the election, said the Supreme Court judge.
The court was not convinced by their claim they had merely attended a peaceful gathering.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders issued an arrest warrant yesterday for red shirt-affiliated singer Paijit Aksornnarong over declared assets.
