1.
Mother said Josh Powell threatened her
BANGKOK, Jan. 19 (UPI) -- An Australian writer has drawn a three-year jail sentence for insulting Thailand's king, observers said Monday.
Harry Nicolaides, 41, was dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit and shackled at the ankles as he pleaded guilty in a Bangkok courtroom to charges of slandering 81-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej, The Times of London reported.
Nicolaides issued a self-published novel in 2005 titled "Verisimilitude," and had already spent four months in jail after being arrested at Bangkok airport in August, the newspaper said.
"This is an 'Alice in Wonderland' experience. I really believe that I am going to wake up and all of you will be gone," Nicolaides told reporters. "I would like to apologize. This can't be real. It feels like a bad dream. I respect the king of Thailand. I was aware there were obscure laws (about the monarchy) but I didn't think they would apply to me."
Nicolaides said he had endured "unspeakable suffering" in jail. He told The Times his novel is a commentary on political and social life of contemporary Thailand.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Additional Top News Stories | |
WASHINGTON, Feb. 10 (UPI) --
Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a stern warning last week against the international community, which imposed sanctions last month targeting the regime's vital oil exports and central bank.
|
MESA, Calif., Feb. 10 (UPI) --
Jesse Farrelly, the 20-year-old son of filmmaker Bobby Farrelly, has died in Costa Mesa, Calif., after a long battle with drug addiction, his family said.
|
ATHENS, Greece, Feb. 10 (UPI) --
Greek workers went on strike Friday, the second time this week they walked off their jobs to protest the country's new austerity programs.
|
OTTAWA, Feb. 10 (UPI) --
A village in Canada with a population of 34 is disputing its disappearance as reported in Statistics Canada's census figures released this week.
|
| Stories | Photos | People | Comments |
View Caption
