Former thai pm yingluck shinawatra fled country ahead trial verdict

You're referring to the news about Yingluck Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister of Thailand.

Yes, Yingluck Shinawatra, who was the Prime Minister of Thailand from 2011 to 2014, fled the country in August 2017, just before the verdict was announced in her trial. She was accused of negligence in her role as Prime Minister in a rice subsidy scheme that was implemented during her tenure, which was alleged to have caused significant financial losses to the state.

Yingluck's trial began in May 2017, and the verdict was scheduled to be announced on August 25, 2017. However, on August 23, 2017, Yingluck failed to appear in court, and it was later reported that she had fled the country.

Yingluck's whereabouts were initially unknown, but it was later confirmed that she had traveled to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where she was believed to be staying with her family. The Thai government issued an arrest warrant for Yingluck, and she was charged with treason and corruption.

Yingluck's flight from Thailand sparked widespread protests and criticism from her supporters, who accused the military government of persecuting her and her family. The Shinawatra family has a long history of political involvement in Thailand, and Yingluck's brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, was also a former Prime Minister who was ousted in a military coup in 2006.

Yingluck's trial was seen as a test of the military government's commitment to democracy and the rule of law, and her flight from the country was seen as a blow to the government's credibility. The case against Yingluck remains ongoing, and she has been convicted in absentia and sentenced to five years in prison.