(VOVworld) - The Thai Criminal Court on Monday issued an arrest warrant for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra after he failed to show up for the first court session in a defamation lawsuit filed against him by the army.
Major General Sarayuth Klinmahom, Director of the Office of the Judge-Advocate of the Royal Thai Army, filed the lawsuit against Thaksin for defamation statements against the army during interviews in the Republic of Korea from May 19 to 25.
The Thai criminal court held its first hearing on Monday for both sides to examine each other’s evidence. Only Thaksin's lawyer appeared at the hearing.
He told the court that the former Prime Minister has been granted political asylum and is living abroad so was unable to appear in court. In 2008 the Thai Supreme Court convicted Thaksin to 2 years imprisonment for abuse of power.