The High Court sentenced Khandu Wangmo from Thimphu to 21 years in prison, today. The court gave her a consecutive prison term for three counts of sedition. The Office of the Attorney General appealed to the High Court after the Thimphu District Court sentenced her to a concurrent prison term of five years in September this year.
The District Court convicted her of writing seditious documents like “Prayers For Your Majesty, The King Of Bhutan”, “To The King of Bhutan, Tashichhodzong, Thimphu” and “Dear Sir, Please Forward This to DPT President”.
According to the penal code, a defendant shall be guilty of the offence of sedition if the defendant issues an insulting and hateful statement against the King or the Royal Government with the intent to defame, disrupt, encourage contempt, or incite hatred of the people against Bhutan.
According to the District Court’s judgment passed in September, she asked a few individuals to distribute the seditious documents with the intent to damage the lives of her ex-husband Pema Gatshel Drangpon Yeshi Dorji and his family members.
Following the District Court’s judgment, the OAG appealed to the High Court requesting harsher sentencing. The OAG in its press release said the sentencing ‘should have been at least 15 to 27 years since the prosecutor has proved beyond a reasonable doubt that she is guilty of three counts of sedition.’
Meanwhile, Khandu Wangmo was also given a concurrent sentence of nine years in July. She was convicted of abetting mutiny, criminal misappropriation of property, larceny by deception, illegal possession of firearms and impersonation of uniformed personnel. She also received an additional prison term of 18 months for solicitation of official misconduct and harassment. However, the conspiracy case is now in the High Court after three defendants appealed.
