After more than six years of legal proceedings, two women human rights defenders (WHRDs) in Thailand, Angkhana Neelapaijit and Anchana Heemmina, have secured a landmark victory before the Appeal Court in a case concerning online attacks, disinformation, and information operations designed to discredit their human rights work.
In its judgment, the Court ordered state authorities to compensate both women defenders and remove the harmful online content published against them within seven days. The Court found that the publications caused damage to their reputation, dignity, and human rights work, and accepted evidence linking the operation to state security structures.
The ruling is significant for several reasons. First, it is one of the clearest judicial acknowledgements in Thailand that information operations and coordinated online attacks can be used to undermine and stigmatise human rights defenders. Second, the Court recognised Angkhana and Anchana as human rights defenders and affirmed the legitimacy of their work in promoting and protecting human rights. Third, the Court confirmed that state authorities can be held accountable when actions linked to state structures result in harm to defenders.
For years both women defenders were subjected to online attacks, disinformation, and efforts to portray their human rights work as illegitimate. Despite the personal, professional, and emotional toll, they continued pursuing justice through the courts. Their perseverance has now resulted in a precedent that may strengthen protection for many other defenders facing similar attacks.
For Protection International Thailand, this decision represents far more than an individual legal victory. It is a victory for accountability, for the recognition of human rights defenders, and for the principle that digital attacks, disinformation campaigns, and efforts to silence defenders should not be tolerated in a democratic society.
“This judgment is not only a victory for Angkhana and Anchana. It is a victory for human rights defenders across Thailand” said Pranom Somwong, Thailand Representative of Protection International. “Had these two women not found the courage to challenge what happened to them, this important precedent would not exist today. Their determination has strengthened protection for many others who continue to face harassment, intimidation, and digital attacks because of their human rights work.”
The ruling is particularly significant for women human rights defenders, who often face gender-specific forms of online violence, including sexualised harassment, attacks on their credibility, threats to their safety, and attempts to undermine their public legitimacy. While the judgment did not fully address these gendered dimensions, it nevertheless represents an important step forward in recognising the harms caused by attacks against women defenders.
Today, we celebrate the courage, resilience, and determination of Angkhana and Anchana. Their victory demonstrates that accountability is possible, that defenders are not alone, and that persistence can help transform individual experiences of injustice into protections that benefit many others.
We hope this judgment will contribute to a future in which states recognise their responsibility not only to refrain from harming human rights defenders, but to actively protect them and create an environment in which they can defend rights safely and free from fear.