Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was convicted of corruption Tuesday and sentenced to two years in prison, a ruling that may encourage anti-government protesters and prolong a stalemate that has paralyzed Thailand's government.
Thaksin dismissed as politically motivated the charges involving a real estate purchase by his wife, while prosecutors said they would try to extradite the former telecommunications tycoon from exile in Britain.
The verdict handed down Tuesday by a Supreme Court panel appeared to mark the first time a former Thai prime minister had been convicted of corruption for actions taken in office. Thaksin, 59, had earlier fled to Britain in the face of almost certain conviction.
The Associated Press
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