Bangkok: Thawee Sodsong, Minister of Justice, has directed the subcommittee responsible for screening facts in cases of torture and enforced disappearances to urgently investigate the death of 'Director Joe' under the guidelines of the Prevention and Suppression of Torture Act.
According to Thai News Agency, the Ministry of Justice reported that Pol. Col. Thitisan Uthanaphon, also known as Superintendent Joe, who was 43 years old and previously served as the Superintendent of Nakhon Sawan Provincial Police Station, died at Klong Prem Central Prison on March 7, 2025. The Department of Corrections explained that at 8:24 p.m., an officer found Pol. Col. Thitisan unresponsive, sitting against the cell door. Upon notifying the warden and nurse, they found him hanging from the cell door with a small towel, showing no signs of life. CCTV footage showed no one entering or leaving the cell. The cause of death is pending autopsy results, and it was confirmed that no prison staff or inmates harmed him. A fact-finding committee will be established immediately.
Mr. Wira Sak Nakin, a lawyer representing Pol. Col. Thitisan, had previously filed a complaint in January 2025, alleging that Pol. Col. Thitisan was verbally abused and punched by a prison guard, resulting in a bruise on his chest. Pol. Col. Thitisan's relatives visited him on the afternoon before his death, during which he expressed concern about a disciplinary investigation he was to face due to his previous insolence. Following these events, his lawyer filed a complaint at Prachachuen Police Station and requested an autopsy at Thammasat University Hospital.
Pol. Col. Thawee Sodsong, in his capacity as Chairman of the Committee on the Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearances, has tasked the Subcommittee on the Screening of Facts in Cases of Torture and Enforced Disappearances, which includes representatives from several agencies such as the Office of the Attorney General, the Royal Thai Police, and the Department of Special Investigation, to investigate the circumstances of detainee deaths. This action is in line with Section 28 of the Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearances Act B.E. 2565 and is considered an urgent matter.
