Bangkok, Ramadan 5, 1435, Jul 3, 2014, SPA -- The Thai military junta late Thursday handed down the first sentence for protesting its rule, according to dpa. Weerayuth Kongkanathan was found guilty of defying military-imposed martial law, which forbade public protests and banned gatherings of more than five people, local television reported. Weerayuth was detained a day after the May 22 military coup when he and other protesters demonstrated against the military's seizure of power. The defendant was handed a one-month prison sentence and a 100-dollar fine. Since the offense was his first criminal conviction and he pleaded guilty, the sentence was suspended for a year, allowing Weerayuth to avoid jail time. A press release by Amnesty International called the verdict "a dangerous precedent for freedom of assembly" and said it "contributes to the climate of fear under military rule." -- SPA 18:26 LOCAL TIME 15:26 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/1250373