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Thailand seeks to extradite lese majeste suspect from New Zealand

Xinhua, June 16, 2015 Adjust font size:

Thailand's Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has asked the New Zealand government to extradite a former activist charged with lese majeste, the OAG spokesperson said on Tuesday.

The OAG has sent a request to New Zealand authorities under a 2008 extradition agreement to have Ekkapop Luara extradited so that he could face trial in Thailand, Wanchai Rujanawong, director- general of the OAG's Foreign Affairs Office, was quoted by Bangkok Post as saying.

Thai police have confirmed that Ekkapop, who faces an arrest warrant issued in late 2013 and lese majeste charges under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, is living in New Zealand, according to Wanchai.

The arrest warrant was issued after the police found a video clip of Ekkapop attacking the Thai monarchy while delivering a speech during a rally of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, known as the "red shirts," in November 2013.

At the end of 2014, Ekkapop claimed that he had been granted New Zealand citizenship in a Facebook post. Endi