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FACTBOX-Verdict due on Thai defamation trial against British activist

by Alisa Tang | @alisatang | Thomson Reuters Foundation
Monday, 19 September 2016 11:29 GMT

British rights activist Andy Hall arrives at a court to surrender himself into custody, as he faces criminal defamation and computer crimes charges, in Bangkok, Thailand January 13, 2016. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

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Andy Hall faces up to seven years in prison if found guilty of defamation and computer crimes over a report alleging abuses by Thailand's biggest producer of canned pineapples

By Alisa Tang

BANGKOK, Sept 19 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A Thai court is set to deliver a verdict on Tuesday on a closely watched criminal defamation case against a prominent British rights activist who alleged ill-treatment of migrants at a fruit factory in southern Thailand.

Andy Hall faces up to seven years in prison if found guilty of defamation and computer crimes over a report he helped author in 2013 alleging abuses by Natural Fruit Co Ltd, Thailand's biggest producer of canned pineapples.

Natural Fruit denies the allegations made in "Cheap Has a High Price", the report by Finnish rights organisation Finnwatch. The company filed two criminal and two civil lawsuits against Hall but did not sue Finnwatch.

Rights groups say the country's defamation laws allow politicians, corporations and businessmen to muzzle critics.

"The cases are widely considered an example of judicial harassment by companies and governments and an attempt to silence a human rights defender," Finnwatch said a statement.

U.S.-based Human Rights Watch called for Thailand's criminal defamation laws to be abolished.

"Andy Hall coordinated important research about abuses of workers' rights in Thailand and he should never have been prosecuted for his actions," Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said in the statement.

Adams said the court fight has had a "chilling effect" on other activists pressing for workers' rights in Thailand.

"Prosecuting Andy Hall for his association with independent efforts to document rights abuses raises serious questions about Thailand's readiness to protect workers' rights."

Foreign governments and non-governmental organisations are closely watching the case against Hall as a gauge of how serious Thailand is about addressing exploitation of migrant workers.

Thailand has been at the centre of scores of reports about labour rights violations in its food industries, with migrant workers often the most exploited.

The country has more than 3 million migrant workers, mostly from neighbouring Myanmar.

Thailand has passed laws to crack down on human trafficking and forced labour, and has stepped up prosecutions.

Here are some details about the case against Hall, including information from a statement issued by Finnwatch:

- Natural Fruit produces canned pineapple and pineapple juice concentrate, and in 2012 supplied juice concentrate to Finnish retailers.

- In 2012, Finnwatch hired Hall as a researcher to coordinate field research in Thailand for a project on social responsibility of products sold in Finnish supermarkets.

- Hall interviewed workers at Natural Fruit, with assistance from translators and news assistants.

- Natural Fruit cited Hall's name on the report as evidence of him being author and responsible for the report.

- Finnwatch Executive Director Sonja Vartiala told the court in July that Finnwatch was "solely responsible for analysing, writing and publishing online the report, "Cheap Has a High Price".

- The verdict on Tuesday morning is for a case for criminal defamation and computer crimes, punishable by up to seven years in prison.

(Reporting by Alisa Tang @alisatang, editing by Timothy Large. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, which covers humanitarian news, women's rights, corruption and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org to see more stories)

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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