An American citizen was sentenced Thursday to two and a half years in a Thai prison for insulting the monarchy. Joe W. Gordon, who was born in Thailand with the name Lerpong Wichaicommart but has since become an American citizen, had lived in the U.S. for 30 years before returning to Thailand last year. He was arrested in May for posting a link to his blog to an unauthorized biography of the king, according to the Human Rights Commission. The charge of writing and posting articles that insult the monarchy can carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison in Thailand, but Gordon pleaded guilty and cooperated in the investigation, his lawyer said.
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