Bangkok Supreme Court: One year in prison for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra

Today's headlines: Pakistan uses Chinese surveillance systems to spy on its citizens and crack down on dissent. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has reshuffled his government in an attempt to quell anti-government protests. The Global Sumud Flotilla says it has been attacked by a drone, while the Israeli army has issued new evacuation orders in Gaza City.

THAILAND

The Thai Supreme Court has ruled that Thaksin Shinawatra must serve one year in prison. This sentence relates to a previous corruption case for which the former prime minister never served a single day in prison, as he was immediately transferred to hospital. Thaksin and his family have dominated Thai politics for the past 25 years, but this is yet another blow to the dynasty after his daughter Paetongtarn was removed from the post of prime minister last month.

PAKISTAN

Pakistan uses Chinese surveillance systems to spy on millions of citizens via the internet and mobile phone calls. This is according to the latest report by Amnesty International, which states that the monitoring systems put in place by Islamabad have led to a severe crackdown on dissent and freedom of speech, particularly since 2022, when former Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested along with several of his supporters.

INDONESIA

President Prabowo Subianto yesterday announced a cabinet reshuffle in an attempt to quell anti-government protests. Five ministers have been replaced, including Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, former managing director of the World Bank, and Budi Gunawan, Minister for Political and Security Affairs. Economist Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, Sri Mulyani's replacement, was sworn in today, saying that he faces a “difficult” task due to the expected economic slowdown.

PHILIPPINES

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte ‘is unable to stand trial,’ said his lawyer Nicholas Kaufman, convincing the International Criminal Court (ICC) to postpone indefinitely the preliminary hearing, originally scheduled for 23 September. Duterte has been detained in The Hague since March on charges of crimes against humanity for killings committed by security forces when he was mayor of Davao and during the so-called war on drugs he launched when he was president.

ISRAEL – GAZA

The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), bound for Gaza, said one of its main vessels was hit by a drone in the port of Sidi Bou Said in Tunisia, but that all six passengers and crew were unharmed. The Tunisian Interior Ministry, however, claims that these reports ‘have no basis in truth’. Israel's naval blockade of Gaza has been in place since 2007, when Hamas took power in the Strip. The Israeli army has issued new evacuation orders to residents of Gaza City, who have nowhere safe to flee to.

GEORGIA

One of those “pardoned” by the Georgian president, the leader of the “Lelo – Strong Georgia” party, Mamuka Khazaradze, accused the Georgian Dream party of using the instrument of pardon as an “act of deception” to gain legitimacy, after the release of another of his colleagues, Badri Džaparidze, and now all arrested opponents categorically refuse to seek presidential acts of clemency.

KYRGYZSTAN

The President of Kyrgyzstan presided over the opening ceremony of a new airport in the city of Naryn, and on that occasion declared that the country had been removed from the European Union's “blacklist” for Kyrgyz aviation, following a meeting in Brussels between the Civil Aviation Agency and the relevant authorities. By the end of 2025, the paperwork will be completed and “the skies of Europe, which have been off-limits since 2006, will reopen for us”, said the president.