TNAG-1880-FCO40-2671-Student-demonstrations-and-internal-political-situation-in-C-1989 — Page 124

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BURGLAR SENTENCED TO DEATH

SOURCE: JIE FANG RI BAO, JUNE 25, 1989

TEXT:

Zhang Ping, accused of burglarizing in the Shanghai American Consulte General, was sentenced to death in the second adjudication on June 24.

This is the final sentence, meted out by the Shanghai High People's Court after it refuted Zhang's appeal and reafirmed the original adjudication by the Shanghai Intermediate People's Court.

The first sentence was passed on Zhang on April 22. The Shanghai High People's Court verified that the determination of crime and the imposition of sentence in the original adjudication were properly handled out on the basis of valid criminal facts and irrifutable evidence. His crime circumstnces were regarded to be extremely serious because of the value of his stealings. Therefore, there were no legal terms for giving him a lesser punishment.

According to the Regulations of the Supreme Peopel's Court authorizing High Peopel's Courts to Ratify somo cases involving death sentences, the Shanghai High People's Court has ratified the death sentence of Zhang Ping with the lifelong deprivation of political rights.

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Zhang will be executed within the next few days.

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ANALYSIS:

Many cases have shown that the Shanghai High People's Court makes quick response to the appeals of those who have been sentenced to death by the Shanghai Intermediate People's Court, which could be seen just in the recent adjudication of the criminal case involving burning train carriages and damaging transportation tools and facilities. However, Zhang's case was an exception. A long silence of two months before the final adjudiction has indicated that the local court has once considered discreetly Zhang's appeal and the United States Government's request for penalizing Zhang with mercy. Owing to the recent decline in the bilateral relations between China and the United States; the local court has sentenced Zhang Ping to death as a tough attitute towards the United States.

U.S. Consulate General, Shanghai Pol/Econ Section (CB Fang)

June 26, 1989

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