Thailand: Two Men Sentenced to Death for 2015 Bangkok Bombing

A Thai court has sentenced two ethnic Uyghur men to death for their involvement in the deadly 2015 bombing at Bangkok's Erawan Shrine. The explosion, which occurred at a popular site for Chinese tourists, killed 20 people and injured 120.

The defendants, identified as Chinese nationals, were convicted of premeditated and attempted murder. A member of the four-judge panel stated that the court imposed the harshest penalty due to the defendants' violation of multiple laws through a single act. Evidence presented included video footage, fingerprints, and alleged confessions during initial questioning, though the men pleaded not guilty at the trial's start in 2016.

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The defendants committed a single act that violated multiple laws. The court therefore imposed the harshest penalty available under the law, the death sentence.

One of the convicted men, Yusufu M, declared his innocence after the verdict, stating, "I don't accept any of this. I didn't do anything wrong." His lawyer confirmed they would appeal the sentence within a month.

The decade-long trial faced delays, including issues with securing translators and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. No group claimed responsibility for the attack, but Thai officials suggested it was retaliation by a people-smuggling gang against a crackdown on Uyghur trafficking. This followed Thailand's deportation of over 100 Uyghurs to China in the month prior to the bombing, a move that drew criticism from rights groups concerned about the repression of the Muslim minority in China's Xinjiang region.

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I don't accept any of this. I didn't do anything wrong.