Bangkok: A court of first instance sentenced two men to death for the 2015 Erawan Shrine bombing that killed 20 people and injured over 100. They were also ordered to pay nearly 5 million baht in compensation to various agencies. The defendants vehemently protested in the courtroom, expressing condolences for Thailand and refusing to accept the verdict.
According to Thai News Agency, this morning at the Bangkok South Criminal Court, the court scheduled a hearing to deliver its verdict in the case where the Bangkok South Criminal Prosecution Office filed charges against Mr. Ardem Karadag, also known as Bilal Mohammed, and Mr. Mairili Yusuf as defendants. They are charged with premeditated murder and other offenses, totaling 10 charges. This case stems from an incident on the evening of August 17, 2015, at the Erawan Shrine, resulting in the deaths of 20 people, both Thai and foreign nationals, and injuries to over 100. Police later reviewed CCTV footage from the surrounding area and found images of a foreign man wearing a yellow shirt placing a backpack under a bench by the shrine's fence before walking away. Shortly afterward, the explosion occurred. The investigation revealed the bomb was assembled in an apartment in the Nong Chok area. A thorough search of the apartment yielded a large quantity of bomb-making equipment. During the search, Mr. Ardem Karadag , or Bilal Mohammed, the first defendant, was found inside the apartment, along with the individual in the yellow shirt seen in the CCTV footage as the bomber. Mairili Yusuf was later arrested by Cambodian authorities at an airport in Cambodia before being extradited to Thailand for prosecution.
Both defendants confessed during police investigation. Defendant 1, Adem Karadag, or Bilal Mohammed, admitted to being the person in the CCTV footage and to placing the bomb under the bench at the Erawan Shrine. Defendant 2, Mairili, admitted to delivering the bag to Defendant 1 on the day of the incident. However, both defendants later retracted their confessions in court, denying all charges, claiming they did not plant the bomb as alleged, were tortured, forced to accept punishment, and that the police arrest was illegal. The court spent nearly seven years hearing witness testimony, even though the case was initially suspended due to the COVID-19 situation. Furthermore, during the trial, the defendants frequently requested changes of interpreters because they did not trust them and feared misinterpretation. The case also involved 440 witnesses and more than 10,000 pages of documentary evidence.
The court found both defendants guilty as charged. Their actions constituted multiple separate offenses, and they were to be punished for each offense separately, in accordance with Section 91 of the Penal Code. The offenses included: jointly possessing an explosive device for which a license could not be issued; jointly causing an explosion likely to endanger others or their property, resulting in death and serious injury; jointly committing premeditated murder; jointly attempting premeditated murder; jointly causing damage to property; jointly using an explosive device for which a license could not be issued; and jointly committing murder. Although this constituted a single act, it violated multiple laws. Therefore, the court imposed the punishment for premeditated murder, which carries the most severe penalty, in accordance with Section 90 of the Penal Code. Both defendants were sentenced to death.
Regarding the charges of jointly carrying weapons in a city, village, or public place without reasonable cause, a fine of 1,000 baht was imposed. For jointly possessing explosives without a permit issued by the registrar, both defendants were sentenced to 5 years imprisonment each. Defendant 1 was also sentenced to 6 months imprisonment for being a foreigner entering the Kingdom without permission and an additional 6 months for residing in the Kingdom without permission. Analyzing the circumstances of the case, the defendants jointly committed the crime while a large number of people were visiting the Erawan Shrine and in the vicinity, resulting in the deaths of 20 people and injuries to 126 people, as well as damage to private and government property. This posed a threat to national security, safety, and public order. Although the court considered some of the defendants' statements during the investigation alongside the prosecution's evidence, there were no mitigating circumstances to reduce the sentence. Ha ving already been sentenced to death for jointly committing murder, no other prison sentences can be added. The court sentenced both defendants to death and fined them 1,000 baht each. They were also ordered to jointly pay compensation to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, the Royal Thai Police, the Police Hospital, the BMTA (Bangkok Mass Transit Authority), and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's Traffic and Transportation Office, totaling 4,780,000.17 baht. After the hearing, the first defendant, Adem, shouted a tribute to Thailand, refused to admit guilt, and denied all charges.