BANGKOK — A Thai court on Friday sentenced jailed activist lawyer Arnon Nampa to an additional two years and eight months in prison for insulting the monarchy during a 2020 rally.

The big picture: The 41-year-old lawyer was a central figure in the 2020 youth-led democracy movement that broke long-standing taboos by calling for reforms to the Thai monarchy. This latest verdict, Arnon’s 11th conviction out of 14 pending royal insult cases, brings his total combined sentence to more than 30 years.

Why it matters: Thailand’s lese-majeste law is among the world’s most stringent, offering the palace protection from criticism with penalties of up to 15 years per perceived insult. While the Thai government maintains the law is necessary for national security, international human rights organizations have widely condemned the punishments as extreme and a tool for silencing dissent.

By the numbers: The crackdown on the pro-democracy movement has seen a significant spike in legal actions over the last six years.

• 291: The minimum number of people charged with lese-majeste offenses since 2020, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.
• 11: The number of convictions Arnon has now received for his political speeches and social media activity.
• 2023: The year Arnon began his current stint in prison (September), stemming from activities between 2020 and 2021.

The backdrop: The specific charge decided Friday relates to a speech Arnon delivered at a protest in November 2020. Since his initial detention in late 2023, the legal aid group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights has tracked his mounting sentences as the judiciary works through more than a dozen separate cases against him.