Key facts
- Two Uyghur men were sentenced to death by a Thai court for the 2015 Erawan Shrine bombing in Bangkok.
- The 2015 bombing resulted in 20 deaths and 120 injuries.
- The convicted men, Adem Karadag and Yusufu Mieraili, have denied the charges and intend to appeal.
- China's foreign ministry supported the verdict, calling the perpetrators inhumane.
- Thailand has previously deported Uyghurs to China, drawing criticism from UN human rights experts.
A Thai court has sentenced two Uyghur men to death for their involvement in the 2015 bombing at the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok, an attack that killed 20 people and injured 120. The court found Adem Karadag and Yusufu Mieraili guilty of premeditated murder and other offenses.
The convicted men have denied all charges and plan to appeal the verdict, with their lawyers indicating they will seek an extension to file the appeal within the one-month deadline under Thai law. The case has been lengthy, taking over 10 years to reach trial with hundreds of witnesses and challenges in finding appropriate interpreters for the suspects.
While no group claimed responsibility for the bombing, security experts have suggested it was retaliation for Thailand's deportation of over 100 Uyghurs to China the previous month. China has faced international criticism for its policies in Xinjiang, the Uyghur homeland. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, stated support for the verdict, condemning the perpetrators' actions. Thailand's deportation of another 40 Uyghurs last year drew criticism from UN human rights experts concerned about their safety upon return to China.