BANGKOK: A court in Thailand on Thursday convicted and sentenced to death two members of China's Muslim Uyghur minority over a 2015 bombing at a Bangkok landmark that killed 20 people and injured more than 120.
Yusufu Mieraili and Bilal Mohammad were arrested shortly after the August 17, 2015, bombing of the Erawan shrine, which is a popular tourist destination, particularly for visitors from China.
The men were charged with a variety of offences, including murder, attempted murder and illegal possession of explosive materials. They allegedly were linked by video, fingerprints and other evidence to the bombing.
Four judges presided over the ruling at the Bangkok South Criminal Court. The court ruled the two were found guilty due to overwhelming evidence against them and were unable to provide substantial evidence proving otherwise.
After the judges left the courtroom, Mieraili shouted in broken Thai that he rejected the ruling and was innocent.
“I mourn for Thailand,” he said. “I did not receive justice … I ask Thai people to help me.”
Mieraili learned Thai while in detention, according to his lawyer. He also speaks English and, on Thursday, was asked to translate the proceedings into Uyghur for Bilal because only an English interpreter was available in court. The trial was repeatedly delayed because of difficulties in finding suitable translators.
Chuchart Kanpai, one of the defence lawyers, said they will appeal as there are still several aspects of the case that were not taken into consideration.
The two men allegedly confessed during the initial questioning but pleaded not guilty when the trial began in 2016. The proceedings originally took place in a military court before the case was transferred to the civilian Bangkok South Criminal Court in 2019.
The men said they suffered mistreatment and torture in jail after their arrests. But the judges said Thursday there was no evidence of torture and that investigators did not appear to have coerced the confessions.
Several human rights groups have criticised the procedures and the lengthy trial. In 2023, the International Federation for Human Rights based in France submitted a petition to the United Nations alleging numerous violations of human rights and due process, including the lack of a legal basis for the arrests and discriminatory treatment.
Authorities identified 17 suspects in connection with the blast, but only three were apprehended. Charges against a Thai woman were dropped in 2024 due to a lack of evidence.
Police said they believe Mieraili detonated the bomb minutes after a backpack containing the device was allegedly left at the shrine by Bilal, who is also known as Adem Karadag.
Thailand deported 40 Uyghur asylum seekers back to China in 2025, which drew international criticism.
The shrine's popularity among Chinese tourists lent support to the theory that the bombing had a political element.