Breaking News - Journalist gets 10 years for insulting Thai king

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Nicolas Asfouri / AFP - Getty ImagesSomyot Prueksakasemsuk arrives at criminal court in Bangkok on Thursday. He was handed a 10-year prison sentence for insulting the monarchy.By Amy Sawitta Lefevre, ReutersBANGKOK -- A Thai activist and former magazine editor was given a 10-year prison sentence Wednesday for insulting the royal family under the country's draconian lese-majeste law, drawing condemnation from international rights groups and the European Union.

Somyot Prueksakasemsuk, who was editor of a magazine devoted to self-exiled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was found guilty of publishing articles in 2010 defaming King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The government later shut down the magazine, called Voice of Taksin, or "voice of the oppressed."

The articles criticized the role of a fictional character meant to represent the king, public prosecutors said in a July 2011 report. Discussions about the role of the monarchy are forbidden under the law, which translates to "injured majesty."

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