Thailand’s former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been acquitted of defaming the Thai monarchy, avoiding a prison term of up to 15 years. The verdict, delivered by the Bangkok Criminal Court, brings an end to a significant legal challenge.

Thai state prosecutors have decided not to press charges against an American academic arrested for royal defamation, an offense punishable by up to 15 years in prison. The decision spares the scholar from facing severe legal consequences under Thailand’s strict laws.