태국 법원, 영국 배낭여행 커플 살인 혐의 미얀마 이주노동자에게 사형 판결

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(보도) 연합뉴스 2015-12-24

태국법원, 영국 여행객 살해한 미얀마 이민자에 사형선고 

인권단체 "강압 수사에 DNA 증거도 미심쩍어" 반발

태국 코타오 섬에서 영국인 여행객 2명을 살해한 혐의로 사형이 선고된 미얀마 노동자들 (AP=연합뉴스)

(코사무이 AP·AFP=연합뉴스) 태국 법원은 지난해 태국 휴양지에서 영국인 배낭여행객 2명을 살해한 혐의로 미얀마 이민자 2명에게 24일(현지시간) 사형을 선고했다.

피의자들과 인권단체들은 강압수사가 이뤄진 데다 수사와 재판과정도 불투명했다며 반발하고 나섰다.

태국 코사무이 법원은 이날 미얀마인 윈자우툰(22)과 자우린(22)에 대해 영국인 데이비드 밀러(24)를 살해하고, 해나 위더리지(23)를 강간 살해한 혐의를 유죄로 인정하고, 사형을 선고했다.

법원은 목격자들의 증언과 시신에서 발견된 DNA 증거를 바탕으로 판결했다고 설명했다.

판결을 지켜보기 위해 태국까지 온 희생자 가족들은 마침내 정의가 실현됐다며 환영한다는 입장을 보였다. 그러나 피고인들은 혐의를 부인하며, 항소할 뜻을 밝혔다.

이들은 태국 경찰이 사건 직후 DNA 샘플을 제대로 채취하고 보존하지 못하는 등 부실 수사를 했다며, 태국이 훼손된 관광대국의 이미지를 만회하기 위해 이민자들을 희생양으로 삼고 있다고 주장했다.

인권단체들도 사법 시스템이 투명하지 않은 태국에서 미얀마 등 이웃 빈곤국 출신의 저임금 이민자들의 범죄 누명을 쓰는 경우가 많다며, 이번 사건도 이 같은 추세를 반영한 것이라고 반발했다.

휴먼라이츠워치는 "판결이 매우 충격적"이라며 "경찰로부터 고문을 받았다는 피고인들의 주장에 대한 수사가 전혀 이뤄지지 않았고, DNA 증거도 의심스럽다"고 말했다.

지난해 9월 코사무이 인근 코타오 섬에서 영국인 2명이 피살되자 경찰은 2주 후 DNA 검사 결과 등을 토대로 윈자우툰 등 2명을 체포했다. 경찰은 이들이 범행을 자백했다고 밝혔지만, 이들은 경찰로부터 "자백하지 않으면 죽이겠다"는 위협을 받았다며 자백을 번복했다.

(보도) Khaosod English 015-12-24

Two Myanmar Men Convicted of Koh Tao Murders and Rape; Death Sentence For Both

기사작성 : Teeranai Charuvastra 

         
SAMUI — The court today found two Myanmar workers guilty of killing two British backpackers in southern Thailand more than a year ago.

The court on Samui island this morning ruled that there is sufficient evidence to implicate the two defendants, Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo, in the double murder of British nationals David Miller and Hannah Witheridge in September 2014.

Although there were no direct witnesses, the defendants' DNA traces that were found at the crime scene and on Witheridge's body was enough to prove their guilt, according to the court.

The court said the DNA test performed by police was accurate and up to international standard. Forgery of DNA test during the process was highly unlikely, the court added.

The case has since attracted intense media coverage and public scrutiny, largely because of Thailand's long history of mistrials and convicted individuals who later turned out to be police's "scapegoats."

Miller, 24, and Witheridge, 23, were found dead on Sai Ree Beach on Koh Tao in the early morning of Sep. 15, 2014. Two weeks after the murders, Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo were arrested and identified as the killers. The pair were also accused of raping Witheridge.

Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo have been held at a prison on Samui island since their arrests. They have both been sentenced to death for the double murder and also for the rape of Witheridge. Additionally Wai Phyo was convicted of entering the kingdom illegally and the theft of Miller's phone.

The phone was eventually found smashed in Wai Phyo's residence, the verdict said. For the alleged destruction of the phone, the court ordered Wai Phyo to pay 15,000 baht in compensation to the Miller family.

The two migrant workers, who are both 22, initially confessed to the crimes after going through police interrogation without any lawyers or a qualified interpreter. The two men later retracted their confession once they received pro-bono legal assistance from the Lawyers Council of Thailand.

The defendants’ lawyers have been urging the court to dismiss the charges against the two men, arguing that forensic evidence fails to link the the defendants to the crime scene. But their argument today proved insufficient to sway the court.

Reaction

Migrant rights activist Andy Hall, who worked with the defense lawyers, said they plan to appeal the guilty verdict. Appeals for criminal conviction must be filed within 30 days. 

If the Court of Appeals declined to accept the appeal, top defense lawyer Nakhon Chompuchart said he will do so at the Supreme Court instead. "We will fight this case to the very end," Nakhon said.

The family of Miller were in attendance at the court today. Also present were mothers of the two defendants. Witheridge's family did not attend the rulling.

After the verdict had been read out, Michael Miller, older brother of David Miller, read out a statement to the press. In the statement, made on behalf of his family, Miller said that the family believed that the verdict was "correct". He went on to say that the family had kept an open-mind throughout the trial and listened to the evidence.

Miller said that the trial is not a "shambles" as some people had claimed on social media. The family also added that they believed that the two defendants had shown no remorse for their actions throughout the trial. The Miller family declined to answer any questions from the media outside the court.

Asked to comment on the Miller family statement, Nakhon, the defense lawyer, said that his two clients restrained themselves from showing any emotion in the court room, following his advice to "be strong for their moms." "They don't show or feel remorse because they believe they are innocent," he added.

(사진) 법원에서 기자회견 중인 데이빗 밀러의 유족들 

Family members of the two Myanmar men found guilty of the double murder were too anguished to speak to the press today. The mothers of Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo could be seen weeping outside the court.

Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo are expected to be moved to either Surat Thani or Nakhon Si Thammarat provincial prisons. It is likely to be betweeen six months and one year before knowing whether their appeal will be accepted or not. 

(사진) 오열하는 피고인들의 어머니들.

* 상위화면 : "[기사목록] 2015년 태국 뉴스"

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