Two Burmese men were sentenced to death for the murder of two British tourists in Thailand in 2014, both men have now had their convictions upheld.
Hannah Witheridge and David Miller murdered in 2014 // SKY NEWS
Two British tourists, Hannah Witheridge and David Miller, were found dead on a beach on the island of Koh Tao in September 2014. Ms Witheridge had been raped and battered to death whilst Mr Miller suffered head injuries and drowned after been dragged into the sea. Miss Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk, and Mr Miller, 24, from Jersey, were in Thailand separately and met at the hotel where they were both staying.
Police found to migrant workers Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo, also known as Win Zaw Htun to be responsible for the murders. They were both sentenced to death in December 2015. Lawyers for the to men claimed that evidence used in the case against them was mishandled and that initial confessions had been made under torture.
Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo // SKY NEWS
Phil Robertson, Deputy Asia Director for Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on Thailand to “abolish the death penalty”.
“It’s a cruel and unusual punishment that violates international human rights standards,” he added.
However, Thailand’s Supreme Court has now upheld the guilty verdicts as forensic and mobile phone evidence supported the original sentences. The two men were employed as service workers on the island at the time of the murder.
