On 11 June 2026, the Bangkok South Criminal Court found two Uyghurs guilty of carrying out the August 2015 bombing of the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok, which killed 20 people and injured more than 120 others. Bilal Mohammed and Yusufu Mieraili have spent nearly 11 years in detention since their arrest, and both maintain their innocence and have said they will appeal their conviction and death sentence.

The case has been marked by repeated violations of the right to a fair trial, a right Thailand is bound to uphold as a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The two men have been held in what UN experts have described as arbitrary detention, and have alleged ill-treatment by Thai authorities throughout the nearly 11-year proceedings. Part of the trial was conducted in a military court with limited transparency, and for years the defendants were not provided with an adequate Uyghur-language interpreter. The International Commission of Jurists, among other human rights organisations, has said the investigation and trial were rife with human rights violations and exposed systemic deficiencies in Thailand’s justice system, and that the proceedings were so flawed the men should have been released. 

“This case must be understood against the backdrop of the Chinese government’s long-standing persecution of Uyghurs. Beijing has repeatedly used terrorism-related accusations, politicised prosecutions, and harsh sentencing to suppress Uyghur voices and justify repression,” said WUC President Turgunjan Alawdun. “Strict adherence to due process, fair trial guarantees, and independent judicial scrutiny is essential in any case involving Uyghur defendants.”

This verdict also comes against the backdrop of sustained pressure from the Chinese government on Thai authorities to deport a larger group of Uyghur men who have been detained in Bangkok since 2014. In February 2025, Thailand deported 40 Uyghur refugees to China despite repeated international warnings, and to this day their whereabouts remain unknown. Their disappearance illustrates the very real risks Uyghurs face and underscores the broader pattern of China’s transnational repression.

The World Uyghur Congress opposes the death penalty in all circumstances, including in this case. While those responsible for acts of violence must be held accountable, justice cannot come at the expense of fundamental human rights. We urge that the appeal process be conducted transparently and in full accordance with international human rights standards, and that accountability be pursued in a manner that respects human rights, due process, and the rule of law.

The World Uyghur Congress urges national governments — including the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom, the Member States of the European Union, the European Union itself, and others — to press Thailand to ensure the appeal is conducted in accordance with international fair trial standards. The Congress calls for the convictions to be quashed and the men released if their guilt cannot be established beyond a reasonable doubt, and, should the convictions be upheld, for a sentence that does not include the death penalty.