Thai court sentences Uyghur men to death for shrine bombing

A Thai court has sentenced two ethnic Uyghur men to death for their roles in a 2015 bombing at a popular Bangkok shrine, the deadliest terrorist attack in the country's history. The verdict, delivered on Thursday, June 11, 2026, concludes a legal process that spanned more than a decade.

The two defendants, Bilal Mohammed and Yusufu Mieraili, were convicted of premeditated and attempted murder for planting a bomb at the Erawan Shrine on the evening of August 17, 2015. The explosion killed 20 people and injured over 120 others. Among the dead were tourists from mainland China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore. The court stated that the defendants' actions constituted multiple offenses, warranting the harshest penalty available.

Both men have consistently denied the charges and will appeal the sentence within a month, according to their lawyer, Choochat Kanpai. Following the verdict, Mieraili was quoted as saying he did not accept the outcome and declared "RIP Thailand's justice system."

The case has been marked by significant delays and controversy. The trial began in a military court in 2016, following a military coup, and was transferred to a civilian court in 2022. Prosecutors...