Mining tycoon sentenced to death  

刘汉等36人涉黑案一审宣判：刘汉刘维被判死刑

A Chinese court Friday sentenced former mining tycoon Liu Han to death.

The Xianning Intermediate People's Court in central China's Hubei province announced the verdicts on the first trials of 36 members of an allegedly mafia-like gang led by Liu.

Liu Wei, Liu Han's brother, was also sentenced to death.

The Liu brothers and 34 other defendants were accused of crimes including organizing, leading and participating in a criminal gang and intentional homicide.

The trials, which saw 36 defendants simultaneously prosecuted in seven cases, ended on April 19. They were the largest criminal group of its kind on trial in China in recent years.

(Updated at 10:04)