A Thai court sentenced two Uyghur men, Yusufu Mieraili and Bilal Mohammad, to death for the 2015 Erawan shrine bombing in Bangkok that killed 20 people and injured over 120. The verdict follows a controversial, decade-long trial plagued by delays and allegations of coerced confessions. While authorities cite revenge by human traffickers, many suspect the attack was retaliation for Thailand's forced repatriation of Uyghurs to China.
2015 Bangkok shrine bombing
- ▪The victims of the 2015 bombing included five people from mainland China and two from Hong Kong
- ▪A bombing at the Erawan shrine in central Bangkok on August 17, 2015, killed 20 people and injured more than 120
- ▪No group has ever claimed responsibility for the 2015 Bangkok bombing
Uyghur suspects arrested
- ▪Thai authorities identified 17 suspects in connection with the blast, but only three were ever apprehended
- ▪Two Uyghur men from China, Yusufu Mieraili and Bilal Mohammad (also known as Adem Karadag), were arrested shortly after the 2015 bombing
- ▪Bilal Mohammad was found in a house on the outskirts of Bangkok with bomb-making chemicals and a forged Turkish passport
Ten-year trial delays
- ▪The trial was repeatedly delayed due to difficulties in finding suitable Uyghur-language translators for the defendants
- ▪The trial of the two suspects lasted for more than 10 years, beginning in 2016
- ▪The case began in a military court before being transferred to the civilian Bangkok South Criminal Court in 2019
Procedural flaws alleged
- ▪The convicted men alleged they were tortured in military custody to coerce confessions, which they later withdrew at trial
- ▪Thai police awarded themselves an $80,000 reward for capturing the first two suspects, despite acknowledging many more were at large
- ▪Human rights groups, including the International Commission of Jurists, criticized the trial for numerous alleged violations of human rights and due process
- ▪The court ruled there was no evidence of torture and that investigators did not appear to have coerced the confessions
Uyghur repatriation context
- ▪Security experts suspect the bombing was retaliation for Thailand forcibly repatriating over 100 Uyghurs to China in July 2015
- ▪In 2025, Thailand deported another 40 Uyghur asylum seekers back to China, drawing international criticism
- ▪Thai authorities have officially stated the bombing was revenge by a people-smuggling gang whose activities had been disrupted by police
Death sentence verdict
- ▪The two men were found guilty of charges including premeditated murder, attempted murder, and illegal possession of explosive materials
- ▪On June 11, 2026, the Bangkok South Criminal Court convicted and sentenced Yusufu Mieraili and Bilal Mohammad to death
- ▪After the verdict, Yusufu Mieraili shouted that he rejected the ruling, was innocent, and did not receive justice
- ▪China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the verdict, stating it supports Thailand in severely punishing the perpetrators
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