Thai king pardons American convicted of insulting monarchy Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej has granted a pardon and freedom to Joe Gordon, an American convicted of insulting the monarchy. Photograph: Damir Sagolj/Reuters Thailand has pardoned and set free an American who was jailed on charges of insulting the monarchy after posting online several passages from an English-language book about the king. Joe Gordon was convicted in December 2011 and given two and a half years for translating excerpts of the book The King Never Smiles from English into Thai and putting them online. The punishment was a high-profile example of the severe sentences meted out for defaming Thailand's royal family, an issue that has raised concern about freedom of expression in the kingdom. The pardon comes as Thailand's prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, is due to meet Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, in Cambodia this week. The Thai government would be keen to avoid attention being drawn to Gordon, who was first detained in May 2011, and others who have fallen foul of lèse majesté laws. There was anger across Thailand in May over the death in jail of Amphon Tangnoppaku, 61, who became known as Uncle SMS after he was given 20 years' jail in November 2011 for text messages deemed to have insulted the monarchy despite claiming he didn't even know how to send a text. Gordon was freed from Bangkok's remand prison late on Tuesday, US embassy spokesman Walter Braunohler said. "We are pleased that His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej granted Joe Gordon a royal pardon, which allowed him to be released from prison," Braunohler said. We urge Thai authorities on a regular basis, both privately and publically, in Bangkok and in Washington, to ensure that freedom of expression is protected in accordance with its international obligations. Gordon's lawyer, Arnon Numpa, said he would likely return to America within several days. Bhumibol, the world's longest-reigning monarch, is revered in Thailand and is widely seen as a stabilising force. But Thailand's lèse majesté laws are the harshest in the world. They mandate that people found guilty of defaming the monarchy including the king, the queen and the heir to the throne face three to 15 years behind bars. Computer crimes laws also contain provisions that have enabled prosecutors to increase lèse majesté sentences. Opponents of the laws say that while the royal family should be protected from defamation, lèse majesté laws are often abused by governments to punish political rivals. That has been especially true amid the political turmoil that has followed a 2006 military coup. Many had hoped the administration of Shinawatra, which assumed power after elections a year ago and has prominent supporters who have been accused of lèse majesté, would reform the laws. The issue remains highly sensitive, however, and Yingluck's government has been as aggressive in pursuing the cases as its predecessors. Gordon posted links to the banned biography of the king several years ago while residing in the US state of Colorado. His case has raised questions about the applicability of Thai law to acts committed by foreigners outside Thailand. In the banned book, author Paul M Handley retraces the king's life, alleging that he has been a major stumbling block to the progress of democracy in Thailand by consolidating royal power over his long reign. Gordon, who lived in the US for about 30 years, was visiting his native country to seek treatment for arthritis and high blood pressure at the time of his arrest. After being repeatedly denied bail he pleaded guilty in October last year in hopes of obtaining a lenient sentence. The judge said at the time that the punishment, initially set at five years, was reduced because of Gordon's plea.