Four policemen jailed for injury leading to suspect death

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-02-11 20:26

QING'AN -- Four policemen in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province were sentenced to prison terms ranging from three to 11 years by a county court on Wednesday for intentional injury that led to the death of a suspect during an interrogation.

The Qing'an County People's Court sentenced two principals, Zhu Songyan and Zhu Chundong, to 11 years and 10 years in jail, respectively. The court also deprived the two Zhus of political rights for three years and two years, respectively. The other two accessaries, Cui Hailong and Fan Zhiguo, were given jail terms of four years and three years, respectively.

All of the accused requested an appeal on Wednesday.

The court found the four policemen guilty of illegally using handcuffs, restraints and physical punishment on Li Fuxiang in a 2000 interrogation about a robbery.

According to the court's forensic report, Li died of heart failure as a result of the "physical punishment."

The report said Li was kept in a standing position in iron restraints for a long time, which induced myocarditis.

The case had been held off for eight years on reason of "lacking sufficient evidence." Investigation of the case restarted last year.

A court official who declined to be named said the policemen's trial faced tremendous difficulties. The accused retracted their previous confessions in court and pled not guilty.

The official said the court had invited criminal law experts from the Supreme People's Court and Tsinghua University to weigh in on the penalty.

One of the defendants' lawyers, Luo Qiming, said the sentences were heavier than expected, and their clients would appeal.