BANGKOK (AP) - The Supreme Court of Thailand has ruled that former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is required to serve a one-year prison sentence following previous convictions for graft and abuse of power. This decision comes after the court investigated allegations that officials mishandled the conditions surrounding Thaksin's return to Thailand in 2023, where he was to begin serving his sentence.

A judge clarified that the enforcement of Thaksin’s penalty was not executed properly, stating that his detention in a police hospital did not qualify as serving prison time. Thaksin, who had lived in self-exile for more than a decade, returned to Thailand and was briefly placed in a suite at Bangkok’s Police General Hospital for purported medical reasons, having spent less than a full day in an actual prison.

Initially, Thaksin faced an eight-year sentence, but this was commuted to one year by King Maha Vajiralongkorn. Following his time in the hospital, he was released on parole after serving six months there. The circumstances surrounding his release have raised significant concerns about the possibility of special treatment, while many have questioned the authenticity of his reported health issues.

On the day of the ruling, Thaksin appeared in court accompanied by his family, including his daughter Pintongta Shinawatra and his other daughter, former Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. It is noteworthy that Paetongtarn was recently removed from her position due to an ethics violation linked to a politically sensitive phone call with the President of the Cambodian Senate, Hun Sen.

As a result of the Supreme Court's decision, Thaksin is anticipated to be transferred to Bangkok Remand Prison to serve his sentence. The case has captured public and media attention due to the political implications surrounding Thaksin's return and the perceived inequality in how justice is applied in Thailand, especially concerning influential political figures.