Thai king commutes death sentences over British backpacker murders
Two men convicted of killing two British backpackers in Thailand have had their death sentences commuted to life by royal pardon.
Death row prisoners Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, both from Myanmar, were pardoned by the Thai King.
They were sentenced to death in 2015 for killing David Miller, 24, from Jersey, and Hannah Witherage, 23, from Norfolk, who was also raped.
They were both found dead on a beach on the popular tourist island of Koh Tao in 2014.
"The two are eligible under a section in the royal pardon decree to get their death sentences reduced to life imprisonment. They will also have a chance to get their sentences reduced further on good behaviour," an official said.
The two men had lost two appeals against the death penalty by an appeals court in 2017 and later at the Thai Supreme Court in 2019.
A royal pardon was their last hope of escaping execution.
The police investigation attracted much controversy with allegations the suspects were coerced into confessions by torture tactics.
There were allegations police rushed the investigation as they were under pressure to quickly secure convictions to protect the tourism industry.
Written by Ray Montgomery, Asia Pacific editor
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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