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March 12, 2007 / 10:30 AM

Jail for insulting king of Thailand

BANGKOK, March 12 (UPI) -- A Swiss man has learned that insulting the king of Thailand can land you in jail for a lifetime.

Oliver Jufer, 57, faces a maximum penalty of 75 years in prison after being convicted of spray-painting several portraits of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the BBC reports from Bangkok.

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Surveillance cameras caught what police describe as a drunken Jufer defacing the portraits on December 5, which is a national holiday in Thailand honoring the king's birthday.

Jufer's case throws a rare spotlight on the strict laws in Thailand forbidding any criticism of the monarchy.

A handful of other foreigners have faced similar charges in the past but most have eventually been allowed to leave Thailand.

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