AP identified the defendants as Yusufu Mieraili and Bilal Mohammad and said they were convicted over the 17 August 2015 bombing, which killed 20 people and injured more than 120. The Guardian, citing a court statement, reported that the sentence included punishment for premeditated murder and that the court said the defendants' actions constituted multiple separate offences.
The case was long-running. AP reported that the men were arrested shortly after the bombing and were charged with offences including murder, attempted murder and illegal possession of bomb-making materials. The proceedings began in a military court, then moved to the civilian Bangkok South Criminal Court in 2019, according to AP.
The length of the case is part of the legal record. AP reported that the trial was repeatedly delayed because of difficulties finding suitable translators, and that on the day of the ruling Mieraili, who had learned Thai in detention, was asked to translate parts of the proceeding into Uyghur for Bilal because only an English interpreter was available in court. DW also reported that the trial had spanned more than 10 years.
AP said four judges presided over the ruling and that the court found the men guilty on what it described as overwhelming evidence, including video, fingerprints and other material. ABC reported that the court convicted the two men of premeditated and attempted murder for their role in planting a bomb at the shrine.
The defendants have denied guilt and the case is not procedurally over. AP reported that Mieraili shouted after the ruling that he rejected it and was innocent. The Guardian quoted defence lawyer Chamroen Panompakakorn saying the men would appeal and telling them there were three other courts. AP also quoted defence lawyer Chuchart Kanpai saying several aspects of the case had not been taken into consideration.