British labour rights campaigner Andy Hall has left Thailand with a pineapple processing company accused, in a report he contributed to, of abusing its workforce after a three-and-a-half year legal struggle.
The Supreme Court of Thailand confirmed the judgment of dismissal of one set of charges against the British activist last week.
However, he was convicted on two other counts under computer crimes laws and sweeping criminal defamation. He also faces civil complaints by the pineapple company, Natural Fruit, which can be demanding around $12m (£9.6m; €10.9) in damages.
But it was the prospect of further criminal charges over another group of workers he is supporting that persuaded Mr Hall that he should leave Thailand and not return.
He believes lawyers are also preparing to charge him over his campaigning on behalf of 14 migrant workers from Myanmar (also called Burma), who have alleged abusive treatment at the hands of a farm which supplied the big Thai poultry processor, Betagro, with chickens.
Before he left Thailand Mr Hall told the BBC that he felt that the prospect of having to contest continuous lawsuits filed against him would make it impossible for him to defend migrant workers’ rights effectively.
