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Wikipedia

Lèse-majesté

January 01, 1970

This article is about the criminal offence. For the Shabazz Palaces album, see Lese Majesty (album).


Lèse-majesté (/ˌlɛzˌmæʒɛsˈteɪ/[1]) or lese-majesty (/ˌliːz ˈmædʒɪsti/)[2] is an offence or defamation against the dignity of a ruling head of state (traditionally a monarch but now more often a president) or of the state itself. The English name for this crime is a modernised borrowing from the medieval French, where the phrase meant "a crime against the Crown". In classical Latin, laesa māiestās meant "hurt or violated majesty" (originally with reference to the majesty of the sovereign people, in post-classical Latin also of the monarch).[3]

John Bull farts on an image of George III. 1798 print by the English caricaturist Richard Newton.
A map of countries which have lèse-majesté laws as of September 2022

The concept of lèse-majesté expressed the idea of a criminal offence against the dignity of the Roman Republic of ancient Rome.[4] In the Dominate, or late Empire period (from the 3rd century CE), the emperors continued to distance themselves from the republican ideals of the Roman Republic, and increasingly equated themselves with the state.[5][failed verification] Although legally the princeps civitatis (the emperor's official title, meaning, roughly, "first citizen") could never become a sovereign because the republic was never officially abolished, emperors were deified as divus, first posthumously but later (by the Dominate period) while still reigning. Deified emperors enjoyed the same legal protection that was accorded to the divinities of the state cult; by the time Christianity replaced paganism in the Roman Empire, what was in all but name a monarchical tradition had already become well-established.

Narrower conceptions of offences against majesty as offences against the Crown predominated in the European kingdoms that emerged in the early medieval period. In feudal Europe, legal systems classified some crimes as lèse-majesté even if they were not intentionally or specifically directed against the Crown. For example: counterfeiting ranked as lèse-majesté because coins bore the monarch's effigy and/or coat of arms.

With the decline of absolute monarchy in Europe, lèse-majesté came to be viewed there as a less-serious crime. However, certain malicious acts formerly classified as involving the crime of lèse-majesté could still be prosecuted as treason. Some republics still classify any offence against the highest representatives of the state as a crime. Lèse-majesté laws still apply as well in monarchies outside of Europe, notably in modern Thailand and Cambodia.

Current laws edit

Europe edit

Belarus edit

On 31 January 2022, a woman in Belarus was handed an 18-month prison sentence for "insulting" the country's President, Alexander Lukashenko, and other authorities after pictures mocking the officials were found on her phone.[6] There have been other similar sentences, particularly since Lukashenko claimed he won an election in August 2020, which independent observers reported that he lost.

Belgium edit

On 28 October 2021, Belgium's Constitutional Court ruled that a law dating from 1847 which penalised insulting the monarch with a fine or imprisonment violates the right to freedom of expression as guaranteed under the Belgian Constitution as well as the European Convention on Human Rights.[7] The law was repealed in January 2023.[8]

Denmark edit

In Denmark, the monarch is protected by the usual libel paragraph (§267 of the Danish Penal Code which allows for up to four months of imprisonment), but §115 allows for doubling of the usual punishment when the reigning monarch is target of the libel. When a queen consort, queen dowager or the crown prince is the target, the punishment may be increased by 50%.[9] There are no historical records of §115 having ever been used, but in March 2011, Greenpeace activists who unfurled a banner at a dinner at the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference were charged under this section.[10] They received minor sentences for other crimes, but were acquitted of the charge relating to the monarch.[11]

Estonia edit

Insulting a foreign dignitary, their representatives or family members, or desecrating their flag or anthem can be punished by up to two years of imprisonment according to the Penal Code §247 and §249.[12]

Germany edit

Further information: Freedom of speech by country § Germany

Until 2017, it was illegal to publicly insult foreign heads of state. On 25 January 2017, the German justice minister Heiko Maas announced a decision by the cabinet to remove this law from the German criminal code, effective 1 January 2018.[13] The decision came several months after Chancellor Angela Merkel announced in April 2016 a controversial decision to honour the Turkish government's request to prosecute a German comedian for reading an obscene poem about Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on late-night television. In that announcement, Merkel also stated the intention to consider repeal of the little-known law.[14] The prosecution was dropped in November 2016.[15]

Insulting the federal president is still illegal,[16] but prosecution requires the authorisation of the president. However, German members of Parliament can and have been sanctioned for denouncing the head of state during debates. Given that the president is an unbiased symbol of unity it is not considered appropriate or acceptable for politicians to criticise them in public.

Iceland edit

Insulting a country, foreign head of state, its representatives or flag can be punished by up to two years of imprisonment according to the 95th article of the penal code. For a very serious breach, the term can be extended to six years.[17]

Italy edit

Impugning the honour or prestige of the president of Italy is punishable with one to five years in jail.[18] This includes personal offences made regarding their exercise of powers or otherwise, with no distinction between past or current events or between the public and private spheres.[19]

In 2019, former leader of the Northern League Umberto Bossi was sentenced to a year and 15 days in jail after using the racial slur terrone in reference then-president Giorgio Napolitano's southern origins,[20] but was later pardoned by the then president Sergio Mattarella.[21]

Similarly, it is also illegal to violate the prestige of foreign flags and emblems;[22] a similar law concerning foreign heads of state was repealed in 1999.

Netherlands edit

In 1966, Dutch cartoonist Willem depicted Queen Juliana of the Netherlands as a prostitute in a cartoon published in Provo magazine, "God, Nederland en Oranje". He was sued for lèse-majesté, but the judge eventually acquitted him from the charge.[23] Willem moved to France afterwards.

Lèse-majesté of the King was punishable with up to five years in prison and/or a fine. The insulting of the Royal Consort, the heir apparent or their consort, or the Regent, was punishable by four years in prison and/or a fine.[24] In the same vein, the insulting of an allied head of state, who is in the Netherlands in their official capacity, was punishable by up to two years and/or a fine.

In total, 18 prosecutions were brought under the law between 2000 and 2012, half of which resulted in convictions.[25] In October 2007, a 47-year-old man was sentenced to one week's imprisonment and fined €400[26] for, amongst other things, lèse-majesté in the Netherlands when he called Queen Beatrix a "whore" and told a police officer that he would have anal sex with her because "she would like it".[27] In July 2016, a 44-year-old man was sentenced to 30 days in jail for "intentionally insulting" King Willem-Alexander, accusing him of being a murderer, thief and rapist.[25]

These laws have been abolished as of January 1, 2020. Insulting the King, the Royal Consort, the heir apparent or their consort, or the Regent, is now punishable on the same level as public officials in their official capacity, which adds one third to the maximum severity of the punishment for regular criminalisation of insulting of three months in prison (maximum) and/or a fine.[28][clarification needed] Prosecutions do still take place. On 23 January 2020, an individual was sentenced to 40 hours community service for insulting the Dutch Queen Máxima Zorreguieta, referring to her as the daughter of a murderer (she is the daughter of Jorge Horacio Zorreguieta, who served as a minister in the Argentine military regime of Jorge Rafael Videla).[29]

Poland edit

Further information: Freedom of speech by country § Poland

In Poland, it is illegal to insult foreign heads of state publicly.

  • On 5 January 2005, left-wing magazine Nie publisher Jerzy Urban was sentenced by a Polish court to a fine of 20,000 złoty (about €5,000, £3,400 or US$6,200) for having insulted Pope John Paul II, a visiting head of state.[30]
  • On 26–27 January 2005, 28 human rights activists were temporarily detained by the Polish authorities for allegedly insulting Vladimir Putin, a visiting head of state. The activists were released after about 30 hours and only one was actually charged with insulting a foreign head of state.[31]

Article 135 of the Polish penal code states that anyone who publicly insults (Polish: kto publicznie znieważa) the President of Poland is punishable by up to three years of imprisonment. Prior to March 2021, the Polish Constitutional Tribunal declared the law consistent with the Polish constitution and Polish international treaty obligations, arguing that the effective carrying out of the duties of the president requires having authority and being especially respected.[32]

As of 2021, there had been at least one conviction, and there were several ongoing legal cases under the law. In December 2020, a man in Toruń was sentenced to six months of community service, 20 hours per month, under lèse-majesté, for having drawn a penis on a poster of president Andrzej Duda. The man's act of writing "five years of shame" on the poster and drawing an "X" symbol on the president's image were not considered insulting by the judge in the final hearing.[33] On 23 March 2021, three pupils appeared in court in Kalisz for a 10-minute incident in June 2020 in Sulmierzyce, in which a family member of a town councillor video-recorded the pupils pulling down a poster of president Andrzej Duda, cutting the poster, using insulting words, and proposing to burn the poster. As of 23 March 2021, the three pupils risked three years' imprisonment under lèse-majesté.[34]

The writer and journalist Jakub Żulczyk was charged under lèse-majesté in March 2021 for referring to president Andrzej Duda as a "moron" (Polish: debil) in online social media in the context of comments criticising Duda's description of Joe Biden's 2020 United States presidential election victory.[35][36]

Russia edit

In March 2019, the Russian Federal Assembly passed a law criminalising publication of online statements that are found "indecent" or "disrespectful" towards Russian state or government officials (including the president), stipulating fines of up to 100,000 roubles for first-time offenders, and 200,000 roubles or up to 15 days imprisonment for repeat.[37]

Spain edit

 
1514 lèse-majesté judgment against listed Navarrese individuals following the kingdom's conquest by Ferdinand the Catholic

Articles 490 and 491 of the criminal code govern lèse-majesté (in Spanish injurias a la Corona 'insults to the Crown'). Any person who defames or insults the king, the queen, their ancestors or their descendants can be imprisoned for up to two years.[38] The Spanish satirical magazine El Jueves was fined for violation of Spain's lèse-majesté laws after publishing an issue with a caricature of the then Prince of Asturias, current King Felipe VI, and his wife engaging in sexual intercourse on the cover of one of their issues in 2007.[39]

On 23 December 2020, the Audiencia Nacional summoned 12 individuals accused of offence against the crown for having pulled down mock statues of Christopher Columbus and incumbent King Felipe VI on the Day of Hispanity in Pamplona earlier that year, following a report drawn up by the National Police and Civil Guard, as stated by the accused.[40]

On 13 March 2018, the European Court of Human Rights ruled against Spain for punishing with imprisonment two protesters in Girona, Catalonia, convicted of burning pictures depicting the King of Spain.[41] On 17 February 2021, there were huge protests over Catalan rapper Pablo Hasél's arrest for violation of lèse-majesté laws.[42] Later that year, Belgium denied the extradition to Spain of the Catalan rapper Valtonyc, prosecuted for allegedly insulting the king and incitement to terrorism.[43]

Switzerland edit

In Switzerland, it is illegal to insult foreign heads of state publicly.[44]

Any person who publicly insults a foreign state in the person of its head of state, the members of its government, its diplomatic representatives, its official delegates to a diplomatic conference taking place in Switzerland, or one of its official representatives to an international organisation or department thereof based or sitting in Switzerland is liable to a custodial sentence not exceeding three years or to a monetary penalty.[44]

Middle East edit

Iran edit

Iranian courts have given prison sentences for insulting the Supreme Leader of Iran or the judicial system of Iran.[45][46][47]

Jordan edit

In September 2012, pro-reform activists faced charges of lèse-majesté following protests in two locations in Jordan. The protests turned violent after the activists reportedly chanted slogans against the Jordanian regime and insulted King Abdullah II and the Royal Court.[48]

In August 2014, Mohammad Saeed Baker, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood's shura council, was arrested in Jordan and sentenced to six months in prison for lèse-majesté. He was released in February 2015.[49] In April 2021, following an incident where a female Jordanian was sentenced for lèse-majesté after saying that she believed her father was better than the king, King Abdullah II instructed courts to abandon ruling in cases related to lèse-majesté in Jordan.[citation needed]

Kuwait edit

In the State of Kuwait, a charge of lèse-majesté is punishable with two years' imprisonment.[50] In January 2009 a Kuwaiti-Australian woman spent six months in prison for allegedly insulting the Emir of Kuwait during a dispute with Kuwaiti immigration authorities.[51][52]

Qatar edit

In 2013, a Qatari poet was sentenced to 15 years in prison for criticizing former Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.[53]

Saudi Arabia edit

Under the counterterrorism law that took effect in 2014, actions that "threaten Saudi Arabia’s unity, disturb public order, or defame the reputation of the state or the king" are considered acts of terrorism.[54] The offense may carry harsh corporal punishment, including lengthy jail terms and even death, with the sentences potentially determined on a case-by-case basis, owing to the arbitrary nature of the Saudi legal system.[55]

Turkey edit

Under Turkish law it is illegal to insult the Turkish nation, the Turkish Republic, Turkish government institutions, and Turkish national heroes. Additionally, according to Law No. 5816, insulting or swearing to the founder and First President of the country, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, will be punished with imprisonment from one year to three years. It is also illegal to insult the President of Turkey, with the scope of such indictment affecting comical and satirical depictions.[56]

  • Bahadır Baruter and Özer Aydoğan, two Turkish cartoonists from Penguen, were arrested for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.[57]
  • On 18 September 2020, the lawyer of Turkey's president, Hüseyin Aydın, filed a complaint against Greek newspaper Δημοκρατία (Dimokratia) over a derogatory headline run.[58] The headline, "Siktir Git Mr. Erdogan", meaning "Fuck off Mr. Erdogan" in Turkish, appeared next to the photo of the president. The headline also included an English translation.[59]
  • In October 2020, a French political comic magazine, Charlie Hebdo, faced possible charges in Turkey over insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The cover of the magazine involved Erdoğan lifting his wife's dress while sitting in a chair drunk.[60]

Africa edit

Mauritius edit

Mauritians are routinely prosecuted for statements deemed offensive to the members of the Jugnauth Government (which has been in power since 2015). In 2019, Patrick Hofman, a former pilot for Air Mauritius, was deported for having called the Prime Minister, Pravind Jugnauth, a "lunatic". The Prime Minister had the citizenship law changed so that his absolute authorization is needed for any immigrant who wishes to stay in Mauritius. The law was changed specifically to be able to deport Patrick Hofman as a "prohibited immigrant", thereby ostracizing him and his Mauritian spouse out of the country.[61] When his Mauritian spouse subsequently died, Patrick Hofman was still not allowed to enter Mauritius for her funeral rites. The question was raised directly to the Prime Minister himself in Parliament.[62]

Similarly, the social media law has been changed in Mauritius to allow the Government (via the police) to jail anyone who criticizes them on social media.[63] The person targeted has only to feel "annoyed" for the police to arrest the critic. Hassenjee Ruhomaully and his spouse, Farirah Ruhomaully have both (in separate instances) been taken out of bed in the early hours of the morning, to be jailed for having "annoyed" a member of Government.[64][65] The couple was jailed for having shared a photo, on social media, of the spouse of the Prime Minister, Kobita Jugnauth, (also called Lady Macbeth)[66] hugging one of their (former) advisors.[67]

In 2022, a former adviser of the Prime Minister, Gerard Sanspeur (who left after witnessing the blatant corruption and theft by the members of Government), was arrested after commenting on a post about the Minister of ICT.[68] In an operation of damage control where it was proved that the Prime Minister allowed the Indian Government to illegally tap on the SAFE fiber optic cable in total disregard of the consortium of countries who own the cable, the IT Minister (who has no IT background) claimed that a laptop used to tap this cable would have exploded from the amount of data from the SAFE cable.[69]

In October 2022, Bradley Vincent,[70] the athlete who has the highest number of medals ever brought to Mauritius, was suspended for three years by the Mauritius Olympic Committee for arriving late to the flag raising ceremony in Birmingham where the Prime Minister was present.[71] Bradley Vincent came late with three other athletes, since the bus picking them up was delayed in traffic. While the other athletes got away with a severe warning, Bradley Vincent was suspended for three years, seemingly for having questioned why the athletes did not get the £100 per diem that they had been told they would have.

Morocco edit

Moroccans are routinely prosecuted for statements deemed offensive to the king. The minimum penalty for such a statement is one year's imprisonment if the statement is made in private (i.e. not broadcast), and three years' imprisonment if made in public. Either way, the maximum is 5 years.[72]

The cases of Yassine Belassal[73] and Nasser Ahmed (a 95-year-old who died in jail after being convicted of lèse-majesté), and the Fouad Mourtada Affair, revived the debate on these laws and their applications. In 2008, an 18-year-old was charged with "breach of due respect to the king" for writing "God, Homeland, Barça" on a school board, in reference to his favorite football club and satirising the national motto ("God, Homeland, King").

In February 2012, 18-year-old Walid Bahomane was convicted for posting two cartoons of the king on Facebook. The procès-verbal cites two Facebook pages and a computer being seized as evidence. Walid was officially prosecuted for "touching the sacralities".[74]

Senegal edit

Offending the Head of State is punishable by a prison sentence of six months to two years and a fine of 100,000 to 1,500,000 CFA (180 to 2,700 USD).[75]

Zimbabwe edit

Prosecutions still take place under the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, punishable by up to one year in jail or a fine of up to Z$4,800 (US$13.26),[76]

Asia edit

Bhutan edit

Although Bhutan transitioned from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy in 2008, the country's royalty are still considered gods incarnate, making criticism of the royalty punishable under blasphemy laws.[77]

Brunei edit

Lèse-majesté is a crime in Brunei Darussalam, punishable with prison sentences of up to three years.[78][79][80]

Cambodia edit

In February 2018, the Parliament of Cambodia voted to make insulting any monarch punishable with between one and five years in prison, along with a fine of 2 to 10 million riels.[81][82]

In January 2019, a Cambodian man was sentenced to three years in jail for Facebook posts. This is the second sentence handed under the law.[83]

North Korea edit

The politics of North Korea mandate obedience to the Ten Principles for the Establishment of a Monolithic Ideological System, which in turn require absolute obedience and respect towards the ruling Kim family. For a senior official, disrespect can include greeting the leader with insufficient enthusiasm, as in the case of Jang Song-thaek, who was executed on charges that included clapping half-heartedly upon Kim Jong-un's accession.[84] Reports of officials executed for dozing off in meetings are regularly reported through the South Korean press and Radio Free Asia, although these are rarely confirmed and sometimes denied by the north or later shown to be false.[85]

Malaysia edit

Malaysia uses the Sedition Act 1948 to charge people for allegedly insulting the royal institution. In 2013, Melissa Gooi and four other friends were detained for allegedly insulting the royal institution.[86]

In 2014, Ali Abd Jalil were detained and served 22 days in prison for insulting the royal family of Johor and Sultan of Selangor. A prison sentence was passed in Johor for attacking the royal family to Muhammad Amirul Azwan Mohd Shakri.[87]

Malaysian royalty is one of the components of 3R (Race, Religion and Royal) in which citizens are not allowed to criticise.

Thailand edit

Main article: Lèse-majesté in Thailand
 
A government officer pays respect to the portrait of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand.

Thailand's criminal code has carried a prohibition against lèse-majesté since 1908.[88] In 1932, when Thailand's monarchy ceased to be absolute and a constitution was adopted, it too included language prohibiting lèse-majesté. The 2016 Constitution of Thailand, and all previous versions since 1932, contain the clause, "The King shall be enthroned in a position of revered worship and shall not be violated. No person shall expose the King to any sort of accusation or action." Thai criminal code elaborates in Article 112: "Whoever defames, insults or threatens the King, Queen, the Heir-apparent or the Regent, shall be punished with imprisonment of three to fifteen years." Missing from the code, however, is a definition of what actions constitute "defamation" or "insult".[89] From 1990 to 2005, the Thai court system only saw four or five lèse-majesté cases a year. From January 2006 to May 2011, however, more than 400 cases came to trial, an estimated 15 times increase.[90] Observers attribute the increase to increased polarization following the 2006 military coup and sensitivity over the elderly king's declining health.[90] In 2013, the Supreme Court of Thailand ruled in case no. 6374/2556 that Article 112 of the Penal Code protects the past kings as well as the present one. Criticism or comments which tarnish past kings or the monarchy are punishable by law. However, scholars raised doubts as to how far back lèse-majesté will be applied as the present Thai monarchy (Chakri dynasty) dates back more than 200 years while other monarchies which ruled Siam can be traced back almost 800 years.

Neither the king nor any member of the royal family has ever personally filed any charges under this law. In fact, during his birthday speech in 2005, King Bhumibol Adulyadej encouraged criticism: "Actually, I must also be criticized. I am not afraid if the criticism concerns what I do wrong, because then I know." He later added, "But the King can do wrong", in reference to those he was appealing to not to overlook his human nature.[91]

Under the NCPO junta which overthrew the democratic regime in May 2014, charges of lèse-majesté have increased significantly, especially against the opponents of the junta. Lèse-majesté is now seeing increasing use as a tool to stifle free speech and dissent in the country.[92] Even the parents of the former princess Srirasmi Suwadee as well as her uncle have been charged with lèse-majesté. On 9 March 2015, a court sentenced her father Apiruj Suwadee and mother Wanthanee for insulting the royal family and lodging a malicious claim. They pleaded guilty to the offenses named and were sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison.[93] On 9 June 2017 in Bangkok a 33-year-old Thai man by the first name of Wichai was given 35 years imprisonment for posting 10 Facebook photos and comments about the Thai royalty. This sentence was reduced from the initial 70 years following a guilty plea made after a year in jail before the trial.[94]

In June 2017, the United Nations called on Thailand to amend its law on lèse-majesté.[95]

South America edit

Brazil edit

Brazilian Law contains in its Penal Code three types of criminal offenses against the honor of people in general:[96]

  • Slander: Falsely imputing something defined as a crime to someone, which has a penalty of detention for between six months to two years, and a fine.
  • Defamation: Falsely imputing an offensive behavior to someone's reputation, which has a penalty of detention for between three months to one year, and a fine.
  • Injury: Offending the dignity or decorum of someone, which has a penalty of detention for between one and six months, or a fine.

These penalties can be increased by one third when practiced against the President of the Republic. The Brazilian Penal Code states that crimes against life or freedom of the President of the Republic are subject to Brazilian law, even if committed abroad.[97] The law is also expanded to apply the penalties for slander or defamation against other authorities, such as members of the Federal Senate, the Chamber of Deputies or the Supreme Federal Court, with penalty of imprisonment, from 1 to 4 years.

In March 2019, the Supreme Federal Court opened an investigation which has been handled in secrecy at the Court, to investigate attacks and fake news involving the court and its members.[98] The inquiry has been heavily criticized by the media because of its use to censor articles published by newspapers,[99] including one about a member of the court being possibly named by Marcelo Odebrecht in a ramification of Operation Car Wash.[100][101] The criticized inquiry is still ongoing and has been used by the court to request other actions, including the investigation of some supporters of the former president of the country, Jair Bolsonaro, causing a crisis between the two branches of the Brazilian government.[102]

Former laws edit

Asia edit

Japan edit

Main articles: Meiji Constitution § Imperial sovereignty, and Lèse-majesté in Japan

Laws against offending the Emperor of Japan were in place between 1880 and 1947, when the law was abolished, during the United States-led Allied occupation. The last person to be convicted of the crime was Shōtarō Matsushima, a factory worker and member of the Japanese Communist Party. During a 1946 protest against food shortages in front of the Imperial Palace, during which the protesters demanded entry into the palace kitchens which were said to be stocked with staple foods, Matsushima wielded a placard reading, on the one side, "Imperial Edict: The Emperor system has been preserved. I, the Emperor, have eaten to my heart's content, but you, my subjects, should starve to death! Signed, (Imperial Seal)". The other side demanded that the Emperor give a public accounting of the food shortages. Matsushima was arrested and charged with impairing the dignity of the Emperor. The Allied occupation authorities intervened and had the charges reduced to libel. Matsushima was convicted and sentenced to eight months in prison, but was pardoned immediately under an Imperial amnesty commemorating the new Constitution.[103]

Europe edit

Norway edit

Main article: Lèse majesté in Norway

Following the 2005 Penal Code (introduced in 2015), lèse-majesté is no longer considered a criminal offense.

The 1902 Penal Code, article 101, provided a fine or up to five years of prison for lèse-majesté.[104] According to article 103, prosecution had to be ordered or accepted by the king.[105] Article 101 stated: "If any defamation is exercised against the King or the Regent, the guilty is punished with a fine or up to five years of prison."[106]

Sweden edit

In Sweden, the laws for lèse-majesté were cancelled in 1948.

United Kingdom edit

The Treason Felony Act of 1848 makes it an offence to advocate for the abolition of the monarchy. Such advocation is punishable by up to life imprisonment under the Act. Though still in the statute book, the law is no longer enforced.[107]

Section 51 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 abolished the common law criminal offences of sedition and "leasing-making" in Scottish law. The latter offence was considered an offence of lèse-majesté or making remarks critical of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The final prosecution for this offence had occurred in 1715.[108]

North America edit

United States edit

The Sedition Act, enacted in 1798, forbade criticism of the president of the President of the United States or of the Federal government; the law was denounced as unconstitutional by its opponents, but was never brought before the Supreme Court. It expired in 1801.[109] Modern jurisprudence concerning the First Amendment to the United States Constitution would make such laws unconstitutional.[109]

See also edit

References edit

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  2. ^ "lese-majesty". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  3. ^ "lèse-majesté". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  4. ^ Smith, William (6 August 1898). "A Concise Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities". H. Holt – via Google Books.
  5. ^ TheFreeDictionary.com, "Lese majesty" TheFreeDictionary.com, Columbia Encyclopedia, retrieved 22 September 2006
  6. ^ "Two More Belarusians Sentenced For 'Insulting' Lukashenka". rferl. 31 January 2022. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  7. ^ "Constitutional Court Judgment of 28 October 2021 (in Dutch)" (PDF). 28 October 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
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  10. ^ "COP-15 activists in lèse majesté case". Politiken. Copenhagen. 1 March 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
  11. ^ Københavns Byret (22-08-2011). Greenpeace-aktivister idømt betinget fængsel i 14 dage. (in Danish).
  12. ^ "Karistusseadustik–Riigi Teataja". www.riigiteataja.ee. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  13. ^ "Berlin abolishing slander law on insulting foreign leaders". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  14. ^ "German Chancellor Refuses to Block Prosecution of Comic Who Insulted Turkey's President". The Intercept. 15 April 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  15. ^ "Berlin abolishing slander law on insulting foreign leaders". Deutsche Welle. 25 January 2017.
  16. ^ "German Criminal Code, Section 90 Disparagement of Federal President". Gesetze im Internet [Laws on the Internet]. Federal Ministry of Justice. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
  17. ^ "Almenn hegningarlög" [General Penal Code] (in Icelandic). Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  18. ^ "Italian Penal Code, article 278". Gazzetta Ufficiale (in Italian). Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  19. ^ "Art. 278 Codice Penale - Brocardi" (in Italian).
  20. ^ "Vilipendio a Napolitano, Cassazione conferma la condanna a Bossi" (in Italian). 12 September 2018.
  21. ^ "Vilipendio, Mattarella ha concesso la grazia a Umberto Bossi" (in Italian). 5 December 2019.
  22. ^ "Italian Penal Code, article 299". Gazzetta Ufficiale (in Italian). Retrieved 9 February 2021.
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  27. ^ Rechtbank Amsterdam, 13/420932-07 en 13/421786-06, ECLI:NL:RBAMS:2007:BB1044
  28. ^ Koninkrijksrelaties, Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken en. "Wetboek van Strafrecht". wetten.overheid.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  29. ^ "Taakstraf voor beledigen koningin Maxima (in Dutch)". 23 January 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  30. ^ . International Freedom of Expression Exchange. Archived from the original on 10 March 2007. Retrieved 22 September 2006.
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Further reading edit

External links edit

  •   The dictionary definition of lese majesty at Wiktionary

January 01, 1970
lèse, majesté, this, article, about, criminal, offence, shabazz, palaces, album, lese, majesty, album, lese, majesty, offence, defamation, against, dignity, ruling, head, state, traditionally, monarch, more, often, president, state, itself, english, name, this. This article is about the criminal offence For the Shabazz Palaces album see Lese Majesty album Lese majeste ˌ l ɛ z ˌ m ae ʒ ɛ s ˈ t eɪ 1 or lese majesty ˌ l iː z ˈ m ae dʒ ɪ s t i 2 is an offence or defamation against the dignity of a ruling head of state traditionally a monarch but now more often a president or of the state itself The English name for this crime is a modernised borrowing from the medieval French where the phrase meant a crime against the Crown In classical Latin laesa maiestas meant hurt or violated majesty originally with reference to the majesty of the sovereign people in post classical Latin also of the monarch 3 John Bull farts on an image of George III 1798 print by the English caricaturist Richard Newton A map of countries which have lese majeste laws as of September 2022 The concept of lese majeste expressed the idea of a criminal offence against the dignity of the Roman Republic of ancient Rome 4 In the Dominate or late Empire period from the 3rd century CE theemperors continued to distance themselves from the republican ideals of the Roman Republic and increasingly equated themselves with the state 5 failed verification Although legally the princeps civitatis the emperor s official title meaning roughly first citizen could never become a sovereign because the republic was never officially abolished emperors were deified as divus first posthumously but later by the Dominate period while still reigning Deified emperors enjoyed the same legal protection that was accorded to the divinities of the state cult by the time Christianity replaced paganism in the Roman Empire what was in all but name a monarchical tradition had already become well established Narrower conceptions of offences against majesty as offences against the Crown predominated in the European kingdoms that emerged in the early medieval period In feudal Europe legal systems classified some crimes as lese majeste even if they were not intentionally or specifically directed against the Crown For example counterfeiting ranked as lese majeste because coins bore the monarch s effigy and or coat of arms With the decline of absolute monarchy in Europe lese majeste came to be viewed there as a less serious crime However certain malicious acts formerly classified as involving the crime of lese majeste could still be prosecuted as treason Some republics still classify any offence against the highest representatives of the state as a crime Lese majeste laws still apply as well in monarchies outside of Europe notably in modern Thailand and Cambodia Contents 1 Current laws 1 1 Europe 1 1 1 Belarus 1 1 2 Belgium 1 1 3 Denmark 1 1 4 Estonia 1 1 5 Germany 1 1 6 Iceland 1 1 7 Italy 1 1 8 Netherlands 1 1 9 Poland 1 1 10 Russia 1 1 11 Spain 1 1 12 Switzerland 1 2 Middle East 1 2 1 Iran 1 2 2 Jordan 1 2 3 Kuwait 1 2 4 Qatar 1 2 5 Saudi Arabia 1 2 6 Turkey 1 3 Africa 1 3 1 Mauritius 1 3 2 Morocco 1 3 3 Senegal 1 3 4 Zimbabwe 1 4 Asia 1 4 1 Bhutan 1 4 2 Brunei 1 4 3 Cambodia 1 4 4 North Korea 1 4 5 Malaysia 1 4 6 Thailand 1 5 South America 1 5 1 Brazil 2 Former laws 2 1 Asia 2 1 1 Japan 2 2 Europe 2 2 1 Norway 2 2 2 Sweden 2 2 3 United Kingdom 2 3 North America 2 3 1 United States 3 See also 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External linksCurrent laws editEurope edit Belarus edit On 31 January 2022 a woman in Belarus was handed an 18 month prison sentence for insulting the country s President Alexander Lukashenko and other authorities after pictures mocking the officials were found on her phone 6 There have been other similar sentences particularly since Lukashenko claimed he won an election in August 2020 which independent observers reported that he lost Belgium edit On 28 October 2021 Belgium s Constitutional Court ruled that a law dating from 1847 which penalised insulting the monarch with a fine or imprisonment violates the right to freedom of expression as guaranteed under the Belgian Constitution as well as the European Convention on Human Rights 7 The law was repealed in January 2023 8 Denmark edit In Denmark the monarch is protected by the usual libel paragraph 267 of the Danish Penal Code which allows for up to four months of imprisonment but 115 allows for doubling of the usual punishment when the reigning monarch is target of the libel When a queen consort queen dowager or the crown prince is the target the punishment may be increased by 50 9 There are no historical records of 115 having ever been used but in March 2011 Greenpeace activists who unfurled a banner at a dinner at the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference were charged under this section 10 They received minor sentences for other crimes but were acquitted of the charge relating to the monarch 11 Estonia edit Insulting a foreign dignitary their representatives or family members or desecrating their flag or anthem can be punished by up to two years of imprisonment according to the Penal Code 247 and 249 12 Germany edit Further information Freedom of speech by country Germany Until 2017 it was illegal to publicly insult foreign heads of state On 25 January 2017 the German justice minister Heiko Maas announced a decision by the cabinet to remove this law from the German criminal code effective 1 January 2018 13 The decision came several months after Chancellor Angela Merkel announced in April 2016 a controversial decision to honour the Turkish government s request to prosecute a German comedian for reading an obscene poem about Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan on late night television In that announcement Merkel also stated the intention to consider repeal of the little known law 14 The prosecution was dropped in November 2016 15 Insulting the federal president is still illegal 16 but prosecution requires the authorisation of the president However German members of Parliament can and have been sanctioned for denouncing the head of state during debates Given that the president is an unbiased symbol of unity it is not considered appropriate or acceptable for politicians to criticise them in public Iceland edit Insulting a country foreign head of state its representatives or flag can be punished by up to two years of imprisonment according to the 95th article of the penal code For a very serious breach the term can be extended to six years 17 Italy edit Impugning the honour or prestige of the president of Italy is punishable with one to five years in jail 18 This includes personal offences made regarding their exercise of powers or otherwise with no distinction between past or current events or between the public and private spheres 19 In 2019 former leader of the Northern League Umberto Bossi was sentenced to a year and 15 days in jail after using the racial slur terrone in reference then president Giorgio Napolitano s southern origins 20 but was later pardoned by the then president Sergio Mattarella 21 Similarly it is also illegal to violate the prestige of foreign flags and emblems 22 a similar law concerning foreign heads of state was repealed in 1999 Netherlands edit In 1966 Dutch cartoonist Willem depicted Queen Juliana of the Netherlands as a prostitute in a cartoon published in Provo magazine God Nederland en Oranje He was sued for lese majeste but the judge eventually acquitted him from the charge 23 Willem moved to France afterwards Lese majeste of the King was punishable with up to five years in prison and or a fine The insulting of the Royal Consort the heir apparent or their consort or the Regent was punishable by four years in prison and or a fine 24 In the same vein the insulting of an allied head of state who is in the Netherlands in their official capacity was punishable by up to two years and or a fine In total 18 prosecutions were brought under the law between 2000 and 2012 half of which resulted in convictions 25 In October 2007 a 47 year old man was sentenced to one week s imprisonment and fined 400 26 for amongst other things lese majeste in the Netherlands when he called Queen Beatrix a whore and told a police officer that he would have anal sex with her because she would like it 27 In July 2016 a 44 year old man was sentenced to 30 days in jail for intentionally insulting King Willem Alexander accusing him of being a murderer thief and rapist 25 These laws have been abolished as of January 1 2020 Insulting the King the Royal Consort the heir apparent or their consort or the Regent is now punishable on the same level as public officials in their official capacity which adds one third to the maximum severity of the punishment for regular criminalisation of insulting of three months in prison maximum and or a fine 28 clarification needed Prosecutions do still take place On 23 January 2020 an individual was sentenced to 40 hours community service for insulting the Dutch Queen Maxima Zorreguieta referring to her as the daughter of a murderer she is the daughter of Jorge Horacio Zorreguieta who served as a minister in the Argentine military regime of Jorge Rafael Videla 29 Poland edit Further information Freedom of speech by country Poland In Poland it is illegal to insult foreign heads of state publicly On 5 January 2005 left wing magazine Nie publisher Jerzy Urban was sentenced by a Polish court to a fine of 20 000 zloty about 5 000 3 400 or US 6 200 for having insulted Pope John Paul II a visiting head of state 30 On 26 27 January 2005 28 human rights activists were temporarily detained by the Polish authorities for allegedly insulting Vladimir Putin a visiting head of state The activists were released after about 30 hours and only one was actually charged with insulting a foreign head of state 31 Article 135 of the Polish penal code states that anyone who publicly insults Polish kto publicznie zniewaza the President of Poland is punishable by up to three years of imprisonment Prior to March 2021 the Polish Constitutional Tribunal declared the law consistent with the Polish constitution and Polish international treaty obligations arguing that the effective carrying out of the duties of the president requires having authority and being especially respected 32 As of 2021 update there had been at least one conviction and there were several ongoing legal cases under the law In December 2020 a man in Torun was sentenced to six months of community service 20 hours per month under lese majeste for having drawn a penis on a poster of president Andrzej Duda The man s act of writing five years of shame on the poster and drawing an X symbol on the president s image were not considered insulting by the judge in the final hearing 33 On 23 March 2021 three pupils appeared in court in Kalisz for a 10 minute incident in June 2020 in Sulmierzyce in which a family member of a town councillor video recorded the pupils pulling down a poster of president Andrzej Duda cutting the poster using insulting words and proposing to burn the poster As of 23 March 2021 update the three pupils risked three years imprisonment under lese majeste 34 The writer and journalist Jakub Zulczyk was charged under lese majeste in March 2021 for referring to president Andrzej Duda as a moron Polish debil in online social media in the context of comments criticising Duda s description of Joe Biden s 2020 United States presidential election victory 35 36 Russia edit In March 2019 the Russian Federal Assembly passed a law criminalising publication of online statements that are found indecent or disrespectful towards Russian state or government officials including the president stipulating fines of up to 100 000 roubles for first time offenders and 200 000 roubles or up to 15 days imprisonment for repeat 37 Spain edit nbsp 1514 lese majeste judgment against listed Navarrese individuals following the kingdom s conquest by Ferdinand the Catholic Articles 490 and 491 of the criminal code govern lese majeste in Spanish injurias a la Corona insults to the Crown Any person who defames or insults the king the queen their ancestors or their descendants can be imprisoned for up to two years 38 The Spanish satirical magazine El Jueves was fined for violation of Spain s lese majeste laws after publishing an issue with a caricature of the then Prince of Asturias current King Felipe VI and his wife engaging in sexual intercourse on the cover of one of their issues in 2007 39 On 23 December 2020 the Audiencia Nacional summoned 12 individuals accused of offence against the crown for having pulled down mock statues of Christopher Columbus and incumbent King Felipe VI on the Day of Hispanity in Pamplona earlier that year following a report drawn up by the National Police and Civil Guard as stated by the accused 40 On 13 March 2018 the European Court of Human Rights ruled against Spain for punishing with imprisonment two protesters in Girona Catalonia convicted of burning pictures depicting the King of Spain 41 On 17 February 2021 there were huge protests over Catalan rapper Pablo Hasel s arrest for violation of lese majeste laws 42 Later that year Belgium denied the extradition to Spain of the Catalan rapper Valtonyc prosecuted for allegedly insulting the king and incitement to terrorism 43 Switzerland edit In Switzerland it is illegal to insult foreign heads of state publicly 44 Any person who publicly insults a foreign state in the person of its head of state the members of its government its diplomatic representatives its official delegates to a diplomatic conference taking place in Switzerland or one of its official representatives to an international organisation or department thereof based or sitting in Switzerland is liable to a custodial sentence not exceeding three years or to a monetary penalty 44 Middle East edit Iran edit Iranian courts have given prison sentences for insulting the Supreme Leader of Iran or the judicial system of Iran 45 46 47 Jordan edit In September 2012 pro reform activists faced charges of lese majeste following protests in two locations in Jordan The protests turned violent after the activists reportedly chanted slogans against the Jordanian regime and insulted King Abdullah II and the Royal Court 48 In August 2014 Mohammad Saeed Baker a member of the Muslim Brotherhood s shura council was arrested in Jordan and sentenced to six months in prison for lese majeste He was released in February 2015 49 In April 2021 following an incident where a female Jordanian was sentenced for lese majeste after saying that she believed her father was better than the king King Abdullah II instructed courts to abandon ruling in cases related to lese majeste in Jordan citation needed Kuwait edit In the State of Kuwait a charge of lese majeste is punishable with two years imprisonment 50 In January 2009 a Kuwaiti Australian woman spent six months in prison for allegedly insulting the Emir of Kuwait during a dispute with Kuwaiti immigration authorities 51 52 Qatar edit In 2013 a Qatari poet was sentenced to 15 years in prison for criticizing former Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani 53 Saudi Arabia edit Under the counterterrorism law that took effect in 2014 actions that threaten Saudi Arabia s unity disturb public order or defame the reputation of the state or the king are considered acts of terrorism 54 The offense may carry harsh corporal punishment including lengthy jail terms and even death with the sentences potentially determined on a case by case basis owing to the arbitrary nature of the Saudi legal system 55 Turkey edit Under Turkish law it is illegal to insult the Turkish nation the Turkish Republic Turkish government institutions and Turkish national heroes Additionally according to Law No 5816 insulting or swearing to the founder and First President of the country Mustafa Kemal Ataturk will be punished with imprisonment from one year to three years It is also illegal to insult the President of Turkey with the scope of such indictment affecting comical and satirical depictions 56 Bahadir Baruter and Ozer Aydogan two Turkish cartoonists from Penguen were arrested for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan 57 On 18 September 2020 the lawyer of Turkey s president Huseyin Aydin filed a complaint against Greek newspaper Dhmokratia Dimokratia over a derogatory headline run 58 The headline Siktir Git Mr Erdogan meaning Fuck off Mr Erdogan in Turkish appeared next to the photo of the president The headline also included an English translation 59 In October 2020 a French political comic magazine Charlie Hebdo faced possible charges in Turkey over insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan The cover of the magazine involved Erdogan lifting his wife s dress while sitting in a chair drunk 60 Africa edit Mauritius edit Mauritians are routinely prosecuted for statements deemed offensive to the members of the Jugnauth Government which has been in power since 2015 In 2019 Patrick Hofman a former pilot for Air Mauritius was deported for having called the Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth a lunatic The Prime Minister had the citizenship law changed so that his absolute authorization is needed for any immigrant who wishes to stay in Mauritius The law was changed specifically to be able to deport Patrick Hofman as a prohibited immigrant thereby ostracizing him and his Mauritian spouse out of the country 61 When his Mauritian spouse subsequently died Patrick Hofman was still not allowed to enter Mauritius for her funeral rites The question was raised directly to the Prime Minister himself in Parliament 62 Similarly the social media law has been changed in Mauritius to allow the Government via the police to jail anyone who criticizes them on social media 63 The person targeted has only to feel annoyed for the police to arrest the critic Hassenjee Ruhomaully and his spouse Farirah Ruhomaully have both in separate instances been taken out of bed in the early hours of the morning to be jailed for having annoyed a member of Government 64 65 The couple was jailed for having shared a photo on social media of the spouse of the Prime Minister Kobita Jugnauth also called Lady Macbeth 66 hugging one of their former advisors 67 In 2022 a former adviser of the Prime Minister Gerard Sanspeur who left after witnessing the blatant corruption and theft by the members of Government was arrested after commenting on a post about the Minister of ICT 68 In an operation of damage control where it was proved that the Prime Minister allowed the Indian Government to illegally tap on the SAFE fiber optic cable in total disregard of the consortium of countries who own the cable the IT Minister who has no IT background claimed that a laptop used to tap this cable would have exploded from the amount of data from the SAFE cable 69 In October 2022 Bradley Vincent 70 the athlete who has the highest number of medals ever brought to Mauritius was suspended for three years by the Mauritius Olympic Committee for arriving late to the flag raising ceremony in Birmingham where the Prime Minister was present 71 Bradley Vincent came late with three other athletes since the bus picking them up was delayed in traffic While the other athletes got away with a severe warning Bradley Vincent was suspended for three years seemingly for having questioned why the athletes did not get the 100 per diem that they had been told they would have Morocco edit Moroccans are routinely prosecuted for statements deemed offensive to the king The minimum penalty for such a statement is one year s imprisonment if the statement is made in private i e not broadcast and three years imprisonment if made in public Either way the maximum is 5 years 72 The cases of Yassine Belassal 73 and Nasser Ahmed a 95 year old who died in jail after being convicted of lese majeste and the Fouad Mourtada Affair revived the debate on these laws and their applications In 2008 an 18 year old was charged with breach of due respect to the king for writing God Homeland Barca on a school board in reference to his favorite football club and satirising the national motto God Homeland King In February 2012 18 year old Walid Bahomane was convicted for posting two cartoons of the king on Facebook The proces verbal cites two Facebook pages and a computer being seized as evidence Walid was officially prosecuted for touching the sacralities 74 Senegal edit Offending the Head of State is punishable by a prison sentence of six months to two years and a fine of 100 000 to 1 500 000 CFA 180 to 2 700 USD 75 Zimbabwe edit Prosecutions still take place under the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act punishable by up to one year in jail or a fine of up to Z 4 800 US 13 26 76 Asia edit Bhutan edit Although Bhutan transitioned from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy in 2008 the country s royalty are still considered gods incarnate making criticism of the royalty punishable under blasphemy laws 77 Brunei edit Lese majeste is a crime in Brunei Darussalam punishable with prison sentences of up to three years 78 79 80 Cambodia edit In February 2018 the Parliament of Cambodia voted to make insulting any monarch punishable with between one and five years in prison along with a fine of 2 to 10 million riels 81 82 In January 2019 a Cambodian man was sentenced to three years in jail for Facebook posts This is the second sentence handed under the law 83 North Korea edit The politics of North Korea mandate obedience to the Ten Principles for the Establishment of a Monolithic Ideological System which in turn require absolute obedience and respect towards the ruling Kim family For a senior official disrespect can include greeting the leader with insufficient enthusiasm as in the case of Jang Song thaek who was executed on charges that included clapping half heartedly upon Kim Jong un s accession 84 Reports of officials executed for dozing off in meetings are regularly reported through the South Korean press and Radio Free Asia although these are rarely confirmed and sometimes denied by the north or later shown to be false 85 Malaysia edit Malaysia uses the Sedition Act 1948 to charge people for allegedly insulting the royal institution In 2013 Melissa Gooi and four other friends were detained for allegedly insulting the royal institution 86 In 2014 Ali Abd Jalil were detained and served 22 days in prison for insulting the royal family of Johor and Sultan of Selangor A prison sentence was passed in Johor for attacking the royal family to Muhammad Amirul Azwan Mohd Shakri 87 Malaysian royalty is one of the components of 3R Race Religion and Royal in which citizens are not allowed to criticise Thailand edit Main article Lese majeste in Thailand nbsp A government officer pays respect to the portrait of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand Thailand s criminal code has carried a prohibition against lese majeste since 1908 88 In 1932 when Thailand s monarchy ceased to be absolute and a constitution was adopted it too included language prohibiting lese majeste The 2016 Constitution of Thailand and all previous versions since 1932 contain the clause The King shall be enthroned in a position of revered worship and shall not be violated No person shall expose the King to any sort of accusation or action Thai criminal code elaborates in Article 112 Whoever defames insults or threatens the King Queen the Heir apparent or the Regent shall be punished with imprisonment of three to fifteen years Missing from the code however is a definition of what actions constitute defamation or insult 89 From 1990 to 2005 the Thai court system only saw four or five lese majeste cases a year From January 2006 to May 2011 however more than 400 cases came to trial an estimated 15 times increase 90 Observers attribute the increase to increased polarization following the 2006 military coup and sensitivity over the elderly king s declining health 90 In 2013 the Supreme Court of Thailand ruled in case no 6374 2556 that Article 112 of the Penal Code protects the past kings as well as the present one Criticism or comments which tarnish past kings or the monarchy are punishable by law However scholars raised doubts as to how far back lese majeste will be applied as the present Thai monarchy Chakri dynasty dates back more than 200 years while other monarchies which ruled Siam can be traced back almost 800 years Neither the king nor any member of the royal family has ever personally filed any charges under this law In fact during his birthday speech in 2005 King Bhumibol Adulyadej encouraged criticism Actually I must also be criticized I am not afraid if the criticism concerns what I do wrong because then I know He later added But the King can do wrong in reference to those he was appealing to not to overlook his human nature 91 Under the NCPO junta which overthrew the democratic regime in May 2014 charges of lese majeste have increased significantly especially against the opponents of the junta Lese majeste is now seeing increasing use as a tool to stifle free speech and dissent in the country 92 Even the parents of the former princess Srirasmi Suwadee as well as her uncle have been charged with lese majeste On 9 March 2015 a court sentenced her father Apiruj Suwadee and mother Wanthanee for insulting the royal family and lodging a malicious claim They pleaded guilty to the offenses named and were sentenced to two and a half years in prison 93 On 9 June 2017 in Bangkok a 33 year old Thai man by the first name of Wichai was given 35 years imprisonment for posting 10 Facebook photos and comments about the Thai royalty This sentence was reduced from the initial 70 years following a guilty plea made after a year in jail before the trial 94 In June 2017 the United Nations called on Thailand to amend its law on lese majeste 95 South America edit Brazil edit Brazilian Law contains in its Penal Code three types of criminal offenses against the honor of people in general 96 Slander Falsely imputing something defined as a crime to someone which has a penalty of detention for between six months to two years and a fine Defamation Falsely imputing an offensive behavior to someone s reputation which has a penalty of detention for between three months to one year and a fine Injury Offending the dignity or decorum of someone which has a penalty of detention for between one and six months or a fine These penalties can be increased by one third when practiced against the President of the Republic The Brazilian Penal Code states that crimes against life or freedom of the President of the Republic are subject to Brazilian law even if committed abroad 97 The law is also expanded to apply the penalties for slander or defamation against other authorities such as members of the Federal Senate the Chamber of Deputies or the Supreme Federal Court with penalty of imprisonment from 1 to 4 years In March 2019 the Supreme Federal Court opened an investigation which has been handled in secrecy at the Court to investigate attacks and fake news involving the court and its members 98 The inquiry has been heavily criticized by the media because of its use to censor articles published by newspapers 99 including one about a member of the court being possibly named by Marcelo Odebrecht in a ramification of Operation Car Wash 100 101 The criticized inquiry is still ongoing and has been used by the court to request other actions including the investigation of some supporters of the former president of the country Jair Bolsonaro causing a crisis between the two branches of the Brazilian government 102 Former laws editAsia edit Japan edit Main articles Meiji Constitution Imperial sovereignty and Lese majeste in Japan Laws against offending the Emperor of Japan were in place between 1880 and 1947 when the law was abolished during the United States led Allied occupation The last person to be convicted of the crime was Shōtarō Matsushima a factory worker and member of the Japanese Communist Party During a 1946 protest against food shortages in front of the Imperial Palace during which the protesters demanded entry into the palace kitchens which were said to be stocked with staple foods Matsushima wielded a placard reading on the one side Imperial Edict The Emperor system has been preserved I the Emperor have eaten to my heart s content but you my subjects should starve to death Signed Imperial Seal The other side demanded that the Emperor give a public accounting of the food shortages Matsushima was arrested and charged with impairing the dignity of the Emperor The Allied occupation authorities intervened and had the charges reduced to libel Matsushima was convicted and sentenced to eight months in prison but was pardoned immediately under an Imperial amnesty commemorating the new Constitution 103 Europe edit Norway edit Main article Lese majeste in Norway Following the 2005 Penal Code introduced in 2015 lese majeste is no longer considered a criminal offense The 1902 Penal Code article 101 provided a fine or up to five years of prison for lese majeste 104 According to article 103 prosecution had to be ordered or accepted by the king 105 Article 101 stated If any defamation is exercised against the King or the Regent the guilty is punished with a fine or up to five years of prison 106 Sweden edit In Sweden the laws for lese majeste were cancelled in 1948 United Kingdom edit The Treason Felony Act of 1848 makes it an offence to advocate for the abolition of the monarchy Such advocation is punishable by up to life imprisonment under the Act Though still in the statute book the law is no longer enforced 107 Section 51 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing Scotland Act 2010 abolished the common law criminal offences of sedition and leasing making in Scottish law The latter offence was considered an offence of lese majeste or making remarks critical of the monarch of the United Kingdom The final prosecution for this offence had occurred in 1715 108 North America edit United States edit The Sedition Act enacted in 1798 forbade criticism of the president of the President of the United States or of the Federal government the law was denounced as unconstitutional by its opponents but was never brought before the Supreme Court It expired in 1801 109 Modern jurisprudence concerning the First Amendment to the United States Constitution would make such laws unconstitutional 109 See also editAlien and Sedition Acts Article 301 Turkish Penal Code Blasphemy Defamation Flag desecration Insubordination Mutiny Naming taboo Sedition Streisand effect TreasonReferences edit Lese majeste definition and meaning Collins English Dictionary lese majesty Oxford English Dictionary Online ed Oxford University Press Subscription or participating institution membership required lese majeste Oxford English Dictionary Online ed Oxford University Press Subscription or participating institution membership required Smith William 6 August 1898 A Concise Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities H Holt via Google Books TheFreeDictionary com Lese majesty TheFreeDictionary com Columbia Encyclopedia retrieved 22 September 2006 Two More Belarusians Sentenced For Insulting Lukashenka rferl 31 January 2022 Retrieved 6 December 2022 Constitutional Court Judgment of 28 October 2021 in Dutch PDF 28 October 2021 Retrieved 15 February 2022 Clapson Colin 7 January 2023 Belgians to skip jail for lese majesty Flanders News Retrieved 11 March 2024 Straffeloven The Penal Code Retsinformation Legal Information in Danish Retrieved 26 January 2017 COP 15 activists in lese majeste case Politiken Copenhagen 1 March 2011 Retrieved 1 March 2011 Kobenhavns Byret 22 08 2011 Greenpeace aktivister idomt betinget faengsel i 14 dage in Danish Karistusseadustik Riigi Teataja www riigiteataja ee Retrieved 14 December 2021 Berlin abolishing slander law on insulting foreign leaders Deutsche Welle Retrieved 30 July 2017 German Chancellor Refuses to Block Prosecution of Comic Who Insulted Turkey s President The Intercept 15 April 2016 Retrieved 30 July 2017 Berlin abolishing slander law on insulting foreign leaders Deutsche Welle 25 January 2017 German Criminal Code Section 90 Disparagement of Federal President Gesetze im Internet Laws on the Internet Federal Ministry of Justice Retrieved 16 December 2018 Almenn hegningarlog General Penal Code in Icelandic Retrieved 27 January 2017 Italian Penal Code article 278 Gazzetta Ufficiale in Italian Retrieved 9 February 2021 Art 278 Codice Penale Brocardi in Italian Vilipendio a Napolitano Cassazione conferma la condanna a Bossi in Italian 12 September 2018 Vilipendio Mattarella ha concesso la grazia a Umberto Bossi in Italian 5 December 2019 Italian Penal Code article 299 Gazzetta Ufficiale in Italian Retrieved 9 February 2021 Knudde Kjell 16 August 2020 Willem Comiclopedia Lambiek Koninkrijksrelaties Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken en Wetboek van Strafrecht wetten overheid nl in Dutch Retrieved 6 September 2021 a b Dutchman jailed for 30 days for insulting the king BBC News 14 July 2016 Retrieved 26 January 2017 Dutch man jailed for insulting the queen current com Archived from the original on 21 February 2011 Rechtbank Amsterdam 13 420932 07 en 13 421786 06 ECLI NL RBAMS 2007 BB1044 Koninkrijksrelaties Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken en Wetboek van Strafrecht wetten overheid nl in Dutch Retrieved 6 September 2021 Taakstraf voor beledigen koningin Maxima in Dutch 23 January 2020 Retrieved 15 February 2021 Criminal Defamation Laws Hamper Free Expression International Freedom of Expression Exchange Archived from the original on 10 March 2007 Retrieved 22 September 2006 Sensitive heads of state BBC News Retrieved 30 January 2008 Kara za zniewazenie Prezydenta Penalty for insulting the President Infor PL pl in Polish 2021 Archived from the original on 23 March 2021 Retrieved 23 March 2021 Torun Zniewazyl prezydenta Dude Zapadl wyrok Torun He insulted president Duda He was sentenced Onet pl in Polish 22 December 2020 Archived from the original on 23 March 2021 Retrieved 23 March 2021 Goldyn Dominik 22 March 2021 Je Dude Chodzcie go spalic Uczniowie oskarzeni o zniewazenie prezydenta F Duda Go and burn him Pupils charged with insulting the president Radio ZET in Polish Archived from the original on 23 March 2021 Retrieved 23 March 2021 Goldyn Dominik 22 March 2021 Jakub Zulczyk nazwal Andrzeja Dude debilem Znany pisarz oskarzony Jakub Zulczyk called Andrzej Duda a moron The famous author has been charged Radio ZET in Polish Archived from the original on 23 March 2021 Retrieved 23 March 2021 Polish writer charged for calling president a moron The Guardian 23 March 2021 Archived from the original on 23 March 2021 Retrieved 23 March 2021 Bennetts Marc 6 March 2019 Russia passes law to jail people for 15 days for disrespecting government The Guardian Retrieved 19 October 2019 Spain Ley Organica 10 1995 de 23 de noviembre del Codigo Penal Constitutional Law 10 1995 of 23 November on the Criminal Code in Spanish BOE no 281 24 November 1995 Retrieved 16 July 2019 Spain royal sex cartoonists fined BBC News 13 November 2007 Retrieved 13 November 2007 EFE 23 December 2020 La Audiencia Nacional llama a declarar a 12 personas por posible delito contra la Corona Cadena SER in Spanish Retrieved 23 December 2020 Juridicas Noticias El TEDH condena a Espana por penar con carcel la quema de una foto del Rey Noticias Juridicas Noticias Juridicas in Spanish Retrieved 27 December 2021 Pablo Hasel protests Thousands demand rapper s release in Spain BBC News 17 February 2021 Retrieved 6 March 2021 Valtonyc Belgica deniega la entrega del rapero a Espana La Vanguardia in Spanish 28 December 2021 Retrieved 28 December 2021 a b Swiss Penal Code SR RS 311 0 E D F I art 296 E D F I Greenslade Roy 11 August 2016 Iranian journalist jailed for insulting the supreme leader The Guardian ISSN 0261 3077 Retrieved 25 May 2023 Dissidents Sentenced to Prison for Insulting Supreme Leader Facing Additional Charges Center for Human Rights in Iran 5 February 2020 Retrieved 25 May 2023 AFP Iran journalist gets 12 years in jail for insulting judiciary www timesofisrael com Retrieved 25 May 2023 Tafileh Reform Activists to be Charged with Slander Lese Majeste Jordan News Ammon News En ammonnews net 13 September 2012 Retrieved 6 January 2014 Brotherhood member released after serving six month prison term jordantimes com 2 February 2015 Retrieved 26 January 2017 7 Countries That Will Jail You for Insulting Their Leaders 11 September 2018 Australia will not intervene as woman held in Kuwait for emir insult National smh com au 13 January 2009 Retrieved 26 January 2017 Worst 6 months of my life says Kuwait prison mum ABC News Australia 23 June 2009 Retrieved 7 February 2024 Qatari poet sentenced to 15 years in prison for insulting emir reuters com 21 October 2013 Retrieved 11 July 2021 Saudi writer arrested for insulting long dead king Middle East Eye Middle East Eye 15 July 2015 Retrieved 1 June 2016 Pakistani commentator Zaid Hamid sentenced to prison lashing in Saudi Arabia Gulf News Gulf News 4 July 2015 Retrieved 1 June 2016 The problem with insulting Turkey s President Erdogan BBC News 16 April 2015 Retrieved 4 May 2021 Update Turkish cartoonists found guilty of insulting Erdogan 23 March 2015 Turkish president files complaint against Greek newspaper Erdogan files complaint over Greek newspaper s insulting headline www aljazeera com Charlie Hebdo faces Turkish probe over insulting president Accuse d avoir traite Pravind Jugnauth de fou Patrick Hofman declare prohibited immigrant 28 April 2019 Redaction La 26 March 2021 Parlement Pravind Jugnauth interroge sur Patrick Hofman lexpress mu in French Retrieved 20 October 2022 Mauritius amends law to include harsh penalties for online content 18 November 2018 This new social media law in Mauritius could land users in prison for annoyance 12 May 2021 Hassenjee Ruhomaully Zot ine tire mo madam lor so lili et dir li ena ene arrest warrant contre li YouTube Revelations de Sherry Singh amours et desamours 3 July 2022 Abel Vinesen 24 October 2018 Photo de Kobita Jugnauth et Sherry Singh Hassenjee Ruhomally entendu au CCID Lexpress mu Redaction La 12 October 2022 Plainte du ministre Balgobin Gerard Sanspeur entendu au CCID Lexpress mu 2022 07 23 Ecoute conseil Deepak Balgobin Ministre IT tension zot computer ECLATER YouTube Bradley Vincent Bradley Vincent Suspended 3 Years for Disrespectful Words Missing CG Ceremony 15 October 2022 PCB UB es PDF Archived from the original PDF on 6 January 2010 Barcelona fans plead for jailed supporter caught offside by king BarcelonaReporter com Archived from the original on 7 July 2011 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint unfit URL link Busted for Posting Caricatures of the King on Facebook 8 February 2012 Retrieved 9 February 2012 Singer and Journalist arrested for insulting the President 25 August 2022 Retrieved 6 December 2022 Freelance reporter charged with insulting Zimbabwe s president 16 July 2020 Retrieved 6 December 2022 21 Things to Know Before You Go to Bhutan 22 July 2016 11 Things That Are Illegal in Brunei 8 July 2018 Regime Defends Lese Majeste Arrest Brunei s No 1 News Website www brudirect com MONARCHY OF BRUNEI Facts and Details Cambodian government criminalizes insult of monarchy Reuters 2 February 2018 via www reuters com Cambodia passes controversial lese majeste law Deutsche Welle 14 February 2018 The 123 members of Cambodia s parliament who were present on Wednesday unanimously adopted a law that forbids insulting the monarchy imposing stiff financial and custodial penalties on those convicted of the crime The changes to Cambodia s criminal law were initially drawn up by Prime Minister Hun Sen and include a penalty of between one and five years imprisonment along with fines of 2 million riel to 10 million riel 500 to 2 500 An insult is expressed in words gestures writing painting or objects that affect personal dignity Pen Panha head of the parliamentary Commission on Legislation and Justice told the assembly Cambodian man jailed for insulting king in Facebook posts The Guardian 2018 Memmott Mark 13 December 2013 Was North Korea s No 2 Killed for Not Clapping Hard Enough NPR Kim Jong Un executes vice premier for disrespectful sitting position at meeting South Korea says National Post NEW UPDATE She Insulted Our Agong Her Friend Surrenders says com 4 June 2013 Retrieved 26 January 2017 Samuels Gabriel 8 June 2016 Teenager jailed for insulting Malaysian royal family on Facebook The Independent Thailand s king pardons Swiss man BBC News 12 April 2007 Retrieved 26 January 2017 Head Jonathan 9 September 2008 Writer held for insulting Thai royals BBC Retrieved 26 October 2016 a b Todd Pitman and Sinfah Tunsarawuth 27 March 2011 Thailand arrests American for alleged king insult Associated Press Retrieved 27 May 2011 Royal Birthday Address King Can Do Wrong National Media 5 December 2005 Archived from the original on 30 September 2007 Retrieved 26 September 2007 The Thai cleaning lady facing prison for I see BBC News 20 May 2016 Retrieved 21 May 2016 Parents of Thai ex princess given jail term for lese majeste BBC News 11 March 2015 Retrieved 26 January 2017 Simth Nicola 9 June 2017 Man handed 35 year sentence for insulting Thai royal family on Facebook The Daily Telegraph Head Jonathan 19 June 2017 Thailand lese majeste UN urges amendment to law BBC News Bangkok L7209 www planalto gov br Retrieved 27 January 2021 L7209 www planalto gov br Retrieved 27 January 2021 Supreme Court of Brazil s inquiry against fake news advancement or step backwards IRIS BH 8 April 2019 Retrieved 27 January 2021 Boadle Anthony Brito Ricardo 16 April 2019 Brazil Supreme Court draws fire for silencing critics Reuters Retrieved 27 January 2021 Minas Estado de 15 April 2019 Ministro do STF manda revista e site excluirem reportagem que cita Dias Toffoli Estado de Minas in Brazilian Portuguese Retrieved 27 January 2021 Censored Magazine Says It Was Fined US 26k by Supreme Court Folha de S Paulo 16 April 2019 Retrieved 27 January 2021 Fake News Probe Fuels Crisis Between Bolsonaro and Top Court Bloomberg com 27 May 2020 Retrieved 27 January 2021 p 242 Eiji Takemae The Allied Occupation of Japan Continuum International Publishing Group 2003 Straffeloven 101 at Lovdata no Straffeloven 103 at Lovdata no Norwegian Foroves nogen AErekrenkelse mod Kongen eller Regenten straffes den skyldige med Hefte eller Faengsel indtil 5 Aar Calling for abolition of monarchy is still illegal UK justice ministry admits The Guardian 13 December 2013 Retrieved 12 February 2021 Justice Committee Official Report Scottish Parliament 20 April 2010 Retrieved 4 January 2014 a b Baber Sukrat 2014 Shout for Freedom to Curse at the Kingdom Contrasting Thai Lese Majeste Law with United States First Amendment Freedoms Indiana International amp Comparative Law Review 24 693 doi 10 18060 18281 inactive 2 April 2024 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a CS1 maint DOI inactive as of April 2024 link Further reading edit Europe Grapples with Outdated Lese Majeste Laws Columbia Journal of European Law 9 October 2016 External links edit nbsp The dictionary definition of lese majesty at Wiktionary Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lese majeste amp oldid 1220566381, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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