Apology ordered from man who insulted hero

A man who insulted China's "father of hybrid rice" was ordered by a court in Tianjin on Thursday to publicly apologize for infringing on the reputation of the deceased agronomist Yuan Longping.

The case is a public interest litigation. Tianjin prosecutors said the man, surnamed Zhang, published and reposted nine posts that insulted and defamed the academician, who died in May 2021. The relevant posts were reposted 36 times and received 275 total likes.

After obtaining the consent of Yuan's family members, Tianjin People's Procuratorate filed the public interest lawsuit to Tianjin Second Intermediate People's Court, requiring Zhang to issue an apology on national-level media.

The court formed a seven-member panel and heard the trial on Thursday morning. The court said Zhang used a social network to blatantly publish untrue remarks, desecrating Yuan's deeds and spirit and damaging his reputation. Zhang's behavior exceeded the legitimate scope of freedom of expression, constituting subjective fault, the court said.

The court said Zhang's act not only infringed on the personal dignity of Yuan but also hurt public feeling. Therefore, the court ruled that Zhang must issue a public apology 10 days after the verdict took effect.

Zhang pleaded guilty and read out a letter of apology to Yuan and Yuan's family members in court for his improper remarks, promising he would never again make any inappropriate remarks that infringe on the reputation of heroes and martyrs.

Yuan, who passed away at the age of 91, was a highly recognized agricultural scientist who developed the first hybrid rice varieties in the 1970s. His research greatly boosted rice yields and food security, and for his contributions Yuan was best known as the "father of hybrid rice".

The court ruling on Thursday is an example of the country's tightened protection for martyrs and heroes over the years. In 2018, the top legislature adopted the Law on the Protection of Heroes and Martyrs, and in March last year the Criminal Law was amended to stipulate that anyone insulting, defaming or otherwise infringing on the reputation of martyrs, which resulted in serious consequences, may face a prison sentence of up to three years.

In March, the central government and Central Military Commission issued another document to improve the commendation work of martyrs and provide more support to martyrs' family members in terms of mental health, livelihood and other services.

According to the Commission of Legislative Affairs of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, the adoption of the law demonstrates China's resolute position to protect heroes and promote their spirit and positive values throughout society.