Ashley Oosthuizen. (Photo: Facebook / A voice for Ashley Oosthuizen)
Ashley Oosthuizen, the South African currently serving a sentence in Thailand, has had his prison sentence shortened further after the Thai government announced a royal pardon that is expected to benefit more than 80,000 prisoners.
The pardon was granted in celebration of Queen Suthida’s birthday and follows after the decision was published in the Thai government gazette. According to the terms of the pardon, prisoners with good behavior who have served at least a third of their sentence or have already served eight years in prison may be eligible for a reduced sentence.
The extent of the reduction depends on an inmate’s classification, behavior and the nature of the offense. Some prisoners will only receive a reduction of their remaining sentence, while others may be released earlier.
Authorities estimate that around 80,000 prisoners will benefit from the amnesty, of whom up to 20,000 may be released immediately.
For Oosthuizen, the pardon means another reduction of her sentence.
“We remain deeply grateful to every person who has prayed for us, sent encouraging messages, offered financial support, shared Ashley’s story and stood by us over the past years.
“Thank you for continuing to walk this path with us,” her mother, Lynn Blignaut, wrote on Facebook.
Oosthuizen was arrested in Thailand on October 8, 2020 on drug-related charges after she signed for receiving a package at her workplace. She was later found guilty of international drug trafficking and initially sentenced to death. The death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment soon after.
Her sentence was subsequently reduced to 33 years and four months in 2022. The Thai Supreme Court further reduced this sentence to 13 years and four months in March this year.
Under the royal pardon, Oosthuizen’s sentence was reduced by another year and ten months to 11 years and six months.
The royal pardon reduced her sentence by a further one year and seven months, bringing her current sentence to nine years and 11 months.
According to information released by her support network, Oosthuizen had already served five years, seven months and 26 days of her sentence by 3 June this year. This means her remaining sentence currently stands at four years, three months and four days.
According to this calculation, she has already served more than half of her current sentence.
Also read: Mother hopeful daughter soon out of Thai prison
Blignaut previously said she hoped her daughter could possibly be released even sooner through further royal pardons or other mechanisms within the Thai correctional system.
According to her latest prison classification, Oosthuizen was placed at the “excellent” level, which is awarded to prisoners with good behavior and as a result of which they can qualify for certain privileges and possibly further sentence relief.
The Thai Department of Correctional Services is currently preparing the implementation of the royal pardon in prisons across the country.