Supreme Court acquits labour rights activist Andy Hall

Andy Hall (file photo by Somchai Poomlard)

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed criminal defamation charges against British activist Andy Hall regarding his 2013 Al Jazeera interview on alleged labour violations at a big exporter of canned pineapple and juice.

The Supreme Court's ruling upheld those of the Court of First Instance in 2014 and the Appeals Court in 2015, due to an unlawful investigation and the fact that the alleged offence was committed in Myanmar.

Mr Hall, a human rights activist and researcher, was sued in four criminal and civil cases by Natural Fruit after he had submitted to Finnish non-governmental organisation Finnwatch a report detailing workers' rights abuse at the company's pineapple-processing plant in Prachuap Khiri Khan province.

The report was published in early 2013. Natural Fruit is one of the world's top 10 exporters of canned pineapple and juice.

In September, the Bangkok Criminal Court found him guilty of criminal defamation and computer crimes in writing and publishing the report.

He was sentenced to three years in prison but the court suspended the sentence. The activist said he would appeal against the ruling.

The suit regarding the Al Jazeera interview is unrelated and was filed against Mr Hall after the initial case was taken to court.

Mr Hall said he would file a counter-suit against the police, the government and Natural Fruit for unlawful prosecution and perjury.