CHENGDU, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Higher People's Court of
Sichuan Province in southwest China on Sunday rejected an
appeal from one of two local residents who had been
sentenced to death penalty and death penalty with a
suspension of execution respectively.
Both defendants, A'an Zhaxi
and Lorang Toinzhub, are natives of the Tibetan Autonomous
Prefecture of Garze in Sichuan. The Intermediate People's
Court of Garze held hearings on their criminal doings on
Nov. 29, 2002.
On the basis of facts, the court on Dec. 2, 2002,
gave A'an Zhaxi, a 52-year-old monk with Tibetan ethnic
background, death sentence with a two-year reprieve for
inciting the split of the country and scheming
explosions.
Lorang Toinzhub, 28, a Tibetan farmer, was
sentenced to death by the court for inciting the split of
the country, scheming explosions, and unlawfully possessing
firearms and ammunition.
The intermediate court ascertained
that the defendants had plotted explosions in public places
for several times and given out leaflets that incited
splitting the country and harmed the country's ethnic unity
since the end of 2000.
From January 2001 to April 2002,
Lorang Toinzhub detonated explosives and thrown off leaflets
in four places including a downtown area of Kangding County
and the Tianfu Square of Chengdu.One was seriously wounded
and many others hurt in the explosions which also caused
property loses of more than 800,000 yuan (96,400 US
dollars).
On Oct. 3, 2001, Lorang Toinzhub exploded the office
building of the traffic police of Garze prefecture, killing
one person and causing property loses of about 290,000 yuan
(35,00 US dollars).
He was also found to have illegally possessed
firearms and ammunition.
Evidences clearly showed that A'an
Zhaxi and Lorang Toinzhub tried to sabotage the unity of the
country and the unity of various ethnic groups. They ignited
explosives in public places and engaged in crimes of terror.
Both of them confessed their crimes.
According to the Criminal
Law of China, the court ruled that they had committed crimes
of inciting the split of the country and plotting
explosions.
Lorang Toinzhub was sentenced to death and
deprived of political right for life for committing crimes
concerning explosions. He was given 12 years of imprisonment
and deprived of political right for two years for inciting
the split of the country. He was also rendered another three
years of imprisonment for illegally possessing firearms and
ammunition.
The court decided to impose death penalty against
Lorang Toinzhub as a cumulative punishment for him.
A'an Zhaxi was
sentenced to death penalty with a two-year suspension of
execution and deprived of political right for life for
committing crimes concerning explosions. He was also
sentenced 14 years in prison and deprived of political right
for three years for inciting the split of the
country.
The court decided to impose death penalty with a two-year
suspension of execution as a concurrent punishment for
him.
The
court did not hold an open hearing because some of the
defendants' criminal acts were related to state secrets.
Lorang
Toinzhub accepted the ruling and did not appeal. A'an Zhaxi
appeal. The Sichuan Higher People's Court rejected his
appeal in the second instance on Sunday.
In the first and second
instances, A'an Zhaxi entrusted Chen Shichang and Yu Jianbo,
two counsels from the Garze Prefectural Lawyers' Office, to
defend on his side.
Lorang Toinzhub did not entrust a counsel for his
defense. The Intermediate People's Court of Garze and the
Sichuan Higher People's Court designated Kuai Qinghua and
Liu Shijian, two lawyers from the same lawyers' office, to
defend Lorang Toinzhub.
Enditem
Two Tibetans sentenced to death in SW China
2004-06-09 17:00