Four acquitted in China 13 years after sentenced to death

Four people were finally acquitted of murder, rape and robbery charges in China today, 13 years after being wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death.
Huang Zhiqiang, Fang Chunping, Cheng Fagen and Cheng Lihe were sentenced to death by the Intermediate People's Court of Jingdezhen city in July 2003 for murder, rape and robbery on May 23, 2000, in Leping City, in central China's Jiangxi Province.
Following a retrial on November 30, Jiangxi Higher People's Court ruled that the facts were unclear, the evidence insufficient, and the authenticity and legitimacy of their confessions in doubt.
The appeal process has been continuing since 2003.

A retrial at the same court upheld the death sentences in November 2004, and the provincial higher court sentenced them to death with a two-year reprieve in May 2006, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
After today's verdict, Xia Keqin, vice president of Jiangxi higher court, made an apology to the four and informed them of their right to state compensation.