Court drops all charges against a Thai woman in a 2015 bombing at a Bangkok shrine that killed 20

BANGKOK -- A tribunal successful Thailand connected Thursday acquitted a Thai female who had been charged pinch engagement successful a 2015 bombing astatine a shrine successful Bangkok that killed 20 group and injured 120.

Wanna Suansan was 1 of 3 group apprehended retired of 17 suspects who authorities said were responsible for nan blast astatine Erawan Shrine, a celebrated tourer destination, peculiarly for visitors from China. The Bangkok Southern Criminal Court ruled that location was not capable grounds to nexus her to nan bombing.

The 2 others being tried separately are taste Uyghurs, a Muslim number successful China that has suffered repression. All 3 were charged pinch a assortment of offenses, including murder, attempted execution and forbidden possession of explosive materials.

The 2 Uyghurs were arrested successful 2015 soon aft nan bombing connected Aug. 17. Wanna was arrested later erstwhile she voluntarily returned to Thailand from Turkey successful 2017 to move herself successful erstwhile she was named arsenic a suspect.

Thai authorities person said nan bombing was revenge by a people-smuggling pack whose activities had been disrupted by nan police. Thailand cracked down connected quality traffickers earlier successful 2015 aft abandoned camps for Rohingyas fleeing persecution successful Myanmar and economical migrants from Bangladesh were recovered successful nan jungles on nan Thai-Malaysia border.

However, immoderate analysts fishy nan bombing was nan activity of Uyghur separatists angry that Thailand had forcibly repatriated scores of Uyghurs to China successful July that year. Many Uyghurs effort to flight persecution and tight power successful China pinch nan thief of master smugglers. The shrine’s fame among Chinese visitors lent support to nan mentation that nan bombing had a governmental element.

While nan 2 different suspects, Yusufu Mieraili and Bilal Mohammad, were allegedly linked by video, DNA and different grounds to nan bombing, nan lawsuit against Wanna was much circumstantial.

Wanna, 36, was accused of leasing accommodation for nan alleged bombers. Police said they recovered gunpowder, fertilizer and different bomb-making materials successful an flat successful outer Bangkok that was leased nether Wanna’s name.

The judge connected Thursday said location was not capable grounds indicating that Wanna had committed a crime arsenic she was charged.

She said prosecutors could not supply grounds that Wanna was coming astatine nan tract of nan bombing, had brought nan different suspects location aliases helped them escape. There was besides nary grounds that she had interaction pinch them aliases helped them get explosive materials that were recovered successful nan apartment, which she was alleged to person rented for nan suspects, nan judge said.

She said it mightiness person been imaginable that Wanna helped find accommodation for friends aliases acquaintances of her husband, who is Turkish, but prosecutors could not beryllium what benignant of narration her hubby mightiness person had pinch nan different suspects. Her husband, not successful custody, is different fishy successful nan case.

Some of nan suspects are Turks, pinch whom Uyghurs stock taste bonds.

“Today nan tribunal acquitted nan charges. I’m very happy. I’d for illustration to convey nan court, because I had been waiting for this time for 7 years since I returned,” Wanna said aft nan ruling.

She said that during that time, she felt discouraged because "it’s for illustration I didn’t get immoderate justice, and it besides damaged my family.”

Mieraili and Bilal, accused of being nan main bombers, person faced repeated delays successful their proceedings because of difficulties successful uncovering suitable translators. Their lawyer, Chuchart Kanpai, said Thursday that their lawsuit was still astatine nan shape of examining witnesses, and nan adjacent tribunal day is scheduled for March.

The 2 men pleaded not blameworthy erstwhile their proceedings began successful 2016 and said they suffered mistreatment and torture successful jailhouse aft their arrests. Police said they judge Mieraili detonated nan explosive minutes aft a backpack containing nan instrumentality was allegedly near astatine nan shrine by Bilal, who is besides known arsenic Adem Karadag.