Thailand’s fugitive former prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, could be eligible for out-of-prison detention if her jail sentence is reduced by one year, as stated by the country’s Department of Corrections chief.
Sahakarn Phetnarin, director-general of the department, mentioned on Sunday that a new regulation on out-of-prison detention set to possibly take effect next month could apply to convicts serving no more than four years.
Since Yingluck was sentenced to five years, reducing her term by a year could make her eligible for this detention option, he explained.
Upon entering prison, Yingluck could pursue a royal pardon to shorten her sentence, Mr. Sahakarn noted.
Should a convict be placed under house arrest, the residence must be equipped with CCTV, and the Department of Corrections reserves the right to determine whether to require electronic monitoring devices for individual detainees, he added.
He also specified that the new regulation would not extend to those convicted of sexual offenses, violent acts, or serious drug crimes.
Yingluck, aged 57, has been on the run since August 2017 after she failed to show up for a Supreme Court session where the Criminal Division for Persons Holding Political Positions was scheduled to deliver its verdict. She faced charges of negligence related to a rice subsidy scheme that incurred losses exceeding 500 billion baht.
She received a five-year prison term, and an active warrant remains out for her arrest in the rice subsidy case.
Her older brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, recently expressed expectations for Yingluck’s return to Thailand by April of next year.
After returning to Thailand last year to begin his sentence, Thaksin was transferred to a hospital on his first night and remained there until he was released on parole.
