A Thai court has sentenced two Uyghur men to death for the 2015 bombing of Bangkok’s Erawan Shrine, prompting renewed scrutiny of the decade-long proceedings and the treatment of the defendants.
The explosion killed 20 people and injured more than 100. Adem Karadag, also known as Bilal Mohammed, and Yusufu Mieraili were arrested after the attack and went on trial in 2016. Both denied the charges, and their lawyers said they would appeal.
Prosecutors presented phone records, location evidence and testimony placing the men near the shrine. The judges said the defendants had failed to rebut the prosecution’s case. The trial was repeatedly delayed by the pandemic and difficulties securing interpreters.
Uyghur human rights advocate Rebiya Kadeer said the victims and their families deserve justice but argued that unresolved questions about due process, treatment of the accused and the reliability of evidence must be examined. Uyghur advocates have also questioned whether political pressure from Beijing influenced the case.
No organization claimed responsibility for the bombing. At the time, speculation linked the attack to Thailand’s forced deportation of more than 100 Uyghurs to China a month earlier. Beijing welcomed the verdict, while defense lawyers said important aspects of the case had not been fully considered.
Image: The aftermath of the Erawan Shrine bombing and the two Uyghur defendants during a 2016 court appearance. (Photos: Reuters/AFP)
Source: Radio Free Asia
