Thai court acquits opposition of sedition charge

Thailand's Constitutional Court on Tuesday acquitted the country's third-largest political party of seeking the overthrow of the constitutional monarchy.

Supporters dressed in orange and wearing the party's triangle logo cheered as the court ruled that the Future Forward party hadn't intended to commit an offence and that the complaint had not been filed correctly.

Afterwards, party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit claimed the trial had been politically motivated.

The party still could be dissolved under another pending charge of breaking election laws by taking a large loan from its leader.

The party was founded in 2018 during military rule, and takes progressive positions that are anathema to Thailand's royalist ruling elite.

The party's surprising finish in an election last year and its popularity among young people rattled the government, which is led by the same people who staged a military coup in 2014.

The case drew special attention because the complaint to the court had sought to link the party to the mythical conspiracy known as the Illuminati, which is alleged to be an elite organization seeking world domination.

The complaint, filed last year, pointed out that the party's logo is an inverted triangle, which if turned upright vaguely resembles the alleged symbol of the Illuminati.