Chinese court sentences three to death, one to life in jail for Kunming terrorist attack

A court in China has handed out death sentences to three and life-term to one woman, for their role in the gruesome terrorist attack at a railway station in Kunming, that left 31 people dead earlier this year.

The Kunming Municipal Intermediate People's Court charged all four suspects with intentional homicide. The prosecutors sentenced Iskandar Ehet, Turgun Tohtunyaz and Hasayn Muhammad to death as they were convicted of organising and leading a terror group.

The fourth accused, a woman, Patigul Tohti, was convicted of joining a terror group and received a life sentence. The death penalty was not applied to her according to law, as she was pregnant when she was detained, the China Daily reported.

Investigators also found that since December 2013, the terrorist organization's members, eight of whom had plotted and carried out the Kunming train station attack, had clear roles and responsibilities and had been preparing to conduct terrorist activities.

Following the planned terror attack, four assailants were shot dead on the spot by the police while Patigul Tohti was captured after she was injured by gunshot.

The court found that Iskandar Ehet, who was arrested on suspicion of planning to illegally cross the Chinese border to a neighboring country, had brainwashed members by teaching them killing methods using audio- video means.

Meanwhile, Turgun Tohtunyaz was found guilty of funding their terrorist activities and Hasayn Muhammad was charged for recruiting terrorists.