Thai courts have issued an arrest warrant for an American scholar under Thailand’s Lese-Majeste Law, which prohibits insulting the monarchy.

According to his legal representative, the army filed a complaint against Paul Chambers, a lecturer at the University of Nares University in central Thailand.

Mr Chambers and his attorneys will report to police on Tuesday and are expected to file a lawsuit.

Akarachai Chamaneekarakate, the advocacy director for the Thai Human Rights Centre who represents Mr Chambers, told the BBC he did not know the reason for the complaint.

If convicted, Mr. Chambers could face three to 15 years in prison for each Lese-Majeste charge.

The BBC has contacted Royal Thai Police for comment.

Mr Akarachai said the use of foreigners is rare, but it has happened before.

His legal representative said the military made “importing false computer data” against Mr. Chambers’ “slander, contempt or malicious” against the royal family, in a way that “cannot undermine national security or cause public panic” and spread computer data that may affect national security.”

Lawyers at the Thai Human Rights Center added that the court had issued an arrest warrant on Monday.

If a lawsuit is filed against Mr. Chambers next Tuesday, the police can place bail or detain him, in which case his attorney will apply for bail.

Police will then investigate if they believe he did commit a crime, pass the case to the prosecutor and they will decide whether to prosecute him.

According to his LinkedIn Page, Mr. Chambers first lived and worked in Thailand 30 years ago and has been speaking and researching in the country since then, including writing books about his military.

His legal representative said he had never received a subpoena before.

Lese-Majeste Law in Thailand has been enacted since the creation of the country’s first criminal law in 1908, despite being punished in 1976.

The government says law is a necessary condition for protecting the monarchy. Critics say the law is used to cut freedom of speech.

Since the student-led pro-democracy protests, Mr Akarachai told BBC LESE-MAJESTE that this is also aimed at the monarchy, Swept through this country 2020.

After months of protests, Thailand Lizard Leaf This is the first time in more than two years.

Mr Akarachai said that since the second half of 2020, there have been more than 300 cases involving more than 270 people in Thailand at the Centre for Human Rights, including children under the age of 18 under the age of 20.

“When people take to the streets to demand monarchy reform, they face the risk of political prosecution. Now, when scholars write or discuss these issues in an academic setting, they seem to face the same risk of political prosecution.”

Last year, the court ruled that the court ordered the dissolution of a reform party Party campaign commitments Changing Lese-Majeste is unconstitutional.

this European Parliament calls Last month, Thailand reformed the law, which said it was “the strictest in the world” and was amnesty to those prosecuted and imprisoned.

Akarah said on Wednesday, the Thai parliament will discuss the amnesty bill.