One of the two Uighur Muslims from China, accused of planting explosives in Thailand's worst-ever bomb attack on a popular Brahma temple here, today claimed he was being mistreated in custody as he broke down in court shouting "I am human, I am not an animal".
Bilal Mohammed alias Adem Karadag, and co-defendant Yusufu Mieraili have been charged with being behind August 2015 bombing at the Brahma shrine in downtown Bangkok that killed 20 people, mostly ethnic Chinese tourists.
Mohammed, 31, who appeared shackled and shaven-headed became emotional in front of the assembled media while on way to court hearing.
"I am not an animal. I am human, I am human," Mohammad shouted as he was being led to the military court.
Sobbing in the courthouse, he alleged that he was being ill-treated and denied halal food.
"I cannot eat, I am laughed at when I pray," he added.
Police denied the torture allegations.
Mohammad was believed to be the man seen in CCTV footage at the shrine last year wearing a yellow T-shirt and placing a backpack allegedly with explosives at the shrine moments before the explosion.
Mieraili, also a Chinese Uighur, was accused of delivering the backpack bomb.
Both men have denied their role in the bombing.
Mohammed's lawyer has previously accused the Thai police of forcing confessions from his client.
No group claimed responsibility for the bombing.
However, some analysts suspected it might have been the work of Uighur separatists who were angry that Thailand in July last year had forcibly repatriated more than 100 Uighurs to China, where they may be persecuted.
Thai authorities have rejected the theory that the bomb was a revenge attack for the Uighur deportations and claimed that it was done to avenge the government's crackdown on human trafficking gangs.
The Uighurs are mainly Muslim minority who face persecution and restrictions on worship in their northwestern Chinese homeland, forcing many to attempt to flee.
