- Title: Verdict expects for Thailand's biggest human trafficking trial
- Date: 19th July 2017
- Summary: BANGKOK, THAILAND (JULY 19, 2017) (REUTERS) PRISON BUS DRIVING AWAY
- Embargoed: 2nd August 2017 03:46
- Keywords: Thailand human trafficking mass graves human rights court verdict
- Location: BANGKOK, SADAO, THAILAND
- City: BANGKOK, SADAO, THAILAND
- Country: Thailand
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Judicial Process/Court Cases/Court Decisions
- Reuters ID: LVA0026QDU345
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A judge began handing down verdicts in Thailand's biggest human trafficking trial on Wednesday (July 19) before dozens of defendants, including a Thai army general, accused of smuggling and trafficking migrants on the Thai-Malaysia border.
The legal process in handing down verdicts is lengthy in Thailand and may take hours before the judge reveals the exact details of the verdicts to a packed Bangkok court.
The trafficking trial involves 103 defendants ranging from Myanmar nationals to Thai police officers and local politicians.
The trial began in 2015 after a Thai crackdown on trafficking gangs following the gruesome discovery of dozens of shallow graves near the Thai-Malaysia border which authorities said was part of a jungle camp where traffickers held migrants as hostages until relatives were able to pay for their release.
Prosecutor told Reuters the trial is a reminder people that Thailand will not tolerate human trafficking. Rights groups however said the arrests in 2015 were just the tip of the iceberg and that regional smuggling and trafficking networks continue to operate with impunity. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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