An Australian university lecturer who was recently sentenced to a three-year prison term for maligning the Thai monarchy in a novel has returned home after receiving a royal pardon, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. An emotional Harry Nicolaides arrived in Melbourne on Saturday after being pardoned by King Bhumipol Adulyadej, who is deeply revered by the Thai people.

In January, Mr. Nicolaides, was convicted of one count of “lèse-majesté,” or insulting the royal family. A Bangkok criminal court ruled that a passage in his book, Verisimilitude, portrayed a fictional crown prince in an unflattering light. The self-published novel sold fewer than a dozen copies.

Mr. Nicolaides, 41, who taught English and social studies at Mae Fah Luang University, in northern Thailand, became a cause célèbre in Australia after photos of him in shackles appeared in local newspapers.

Thailand’s statute forbidding criticism of the royal family is one of the toughest such laws in the world. Critics argue that the law is being used to silence political opponents. A prominent professor and government critic, Giles Ji Ungpakorn, was recently charged with criticizing the monarchy. Earlier this month, he fled to Britain, saying he could not get a fair trial in Thailand. —Martha Ann Overland