BANGKOK — The South Bangkok Criminal Court on Thursday sentenced two men to death for their roles in the 2015 bombing at the Erawan Shrine at Bangkok’s Ratchaprasong intersection, one of Thailand’s deadliest terror attacks.
The court found Adem Karadag and Mieraili Yusufu guilty of jointly carrying out the bombing that struck the shrine on 17 August 2015, killing 20 people and injuring more than 100 others.
The victims included 14 foreign nationals and six Thais.
In addition to the death sentences, the court imposed a fine of 1,000 baht on each defendant for carrying weapons in a public place.
The verdict comes nearly 11 years after the attack, following lengthy court proceedings involving testimony from more than 400 prosecution witnesses and 45 defence witnesses. The case file reportedly exceeded 10,000 pages.
The explosion occurred at about 18:55 on 17 August 2015 at the popular Erawan Shrine in central Bangkok. Investigators later determined that the device was a TNT-based improvised explosive concealed inside a backpack and placed beneath a bench within the shrine compound.
Prosecutors said Karadag was responsible for placing the backpack containing the bomb at the scene, while Yusufu assembled the device, procured components and delivered the explosive to Karadag.
The bombing shocked Thailand and the international community, as the shrine is a major tourist attraction frequented by both local worshippers and foreign visitors.
