This article was originally published on Prachatai.
A Red Shirt protester has been released after being acquitted in all five cases related to explosives during the 2014 Yellow Shirt protests.
37-year-old Yongyuth Boondee, known as “Daeng Shinjang,” was released on 28 October after the Criminal Court acquitted him in the two remaining cases related to the 2014 Yellow Shirt protests, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.
Yongyuth had been detained since 9 September 2024 pending trial on five charges of possessing explosives and firearms related to incidents during the 2014 Yellow Shirt protests.
Despite posing no flight risk, he was denied bail 49 times throughout his detention.
The cases against him was based on an interrogation 11 years ago while he was detained at a military camp after being summoned by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) junta.
Yongyuth argued that the record was unreliable as it was coerced under threats and intimidation while he was detained. He said he pleaded guilty at the time because he was forced to do so without the presence of a lawyer.
The prosecution witnesses in the cases involved police officers and military personnel whose testimonies were contradictory.
The Criminal Court stated that the prosecution provided only hearsay evidence. Witnesses also testified that they were not able to clearly see the perpetrator.
He was acquitted in the first case on 21 August 2025. Although the remaining cases relied on the same evidence as the one in which he had been acquitted, he was repeatedly denied bail in the remaining four cases. The Court argued that there was no reason to change the initial detention order.
Yongyuth had to spend over 400 days in detention only to be acquitted of all criminal charges, in which he should have been presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Yongyuth was active in the red-shirt movement in 2011. A red afro wig, red tank top and red pants were his signature costume at Red Shirt protests, which he regularly attended.
Since then, he has faced an array of charges. After the 2014 coup, he was summoned by the NCPO and put into military custody where he said he was physically assaulted, intimidated, and forced to plead guilty.
The Red Shirt protester was accused of involvement in several cases, some of which have already concluded. In some cases, he was convicted and served his sentence, while in others, the court acquitted him due to insufficient evidence. However, in recent years, new charges have been brought against him.
Notably, in several of these new cases, Yongyuth was previously listed as a prosecution witness against others.