RIGHT BG
48-hour probe deadline guarantees swift justice
Courts in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Thursday handed out death sentences to nine terrorists in open trials, in a bid to deter terrorist acts in the region.
The nine were among a total of 81 convicts linked to 23 cases due to their involvement in terrorism groups, intentional homicide and arson across Xinjiang including Urumqi, Tacheng, Kashi, Hotan, Aksu, and Kizilsu Kirghiz Autonomous Prefecture.
Three others were given a death sentence with a two-year reprieve.
The open trials were a part of China's year-long nationwide anti-terrorism operation launched following a deadly terrorist attack in Urumqi in late May, which has made Xinjiang a major battleground.
According to local news portal ts.cn, Xinjiang High People's Court Thursday revealed details of several cases from the open trials.
It said Abdu Eziz Mexmut and 17 others made explosive devices multiple times and planned terrorist attacks against a village government and police station, which led to the severe injury of a police officer. They received punishments ranging from suspended death to life imprisonment and fixed-term imprisonment.
In another case, Nurmemet Abdukerim, who joined an overseas terrorist group and spread religious extremism in Xinjiang, was sentenced to life imprisonment for teaching techniques on building explosives, recruiting terrorists and plotting terrorist acts.
Two others face imprisonment of five and 10 years for spreading terrorism and ethnic discrimination as well as instigating ethnic hatred via the Internet and social networking applications.
Hong Liu, an official with the regional court, told the Xinjiang Daily that for those who have committed extremely severe crimes, the court wouldn't shy from handing out death sentences.
Representatives from different social sectors and ethnicities were invited to attend the open trials. The accused were also entitled to the right to defense and the right of appeal using their ethnic languages, the regional court noted at a press conference on Thursday.
Another 29 terror-related suspects have been arrested in Urumqi over charges including inciting separatism, assembling to disturb social order, illegal business activities, and inciting ethnic hatred and ethnic discrimination. The authorities expect to complete the investigation within 48 hours, Urumqi People's Procuratorate announced Wednesday.
Xinjiang has vowed to use ultra-tough and unconventional approach during the campaign.
In an interview with the Xinjiang Daily, Chen Tong, dean of the Law School at Xinjiang Normal University, explained that the authorities will impose the strongest possible punishment and keep rolling out new and more advanced measures in combating extremists, but all these will be carried out within the legal framework.
Li Wei, a counter-terrorism expert at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said that the procuratorate's 48-hour deadline for investigation would guarantee swift action in curbing terrorism. "The authorities have to speed up their investigation before terrorists could escape justice and continue terrorist acts upon their release from detention."
According to the law, the maximum duration for criminal detention is three days, but could extend to seven days under special circumstances.
Li expects an anti-terrorism law will soon be enacted so as to allow longer detention for more thorough investigation.
However, Turgunjan Tursun, a research fellow at the Xinjiang Academy of Social Sciences, is a bit skeptical about the actual impact of the recent arrests and trials in eliminating terrorism. "These may serve as a warning sign to junior and entry-level newcomers, but they still can't stop the leaders and major figures in these groups," Tursun said.
Tursun also doubted the effects of the periodic, one-off type of anti-terror campaign and suggested the government should carry out a long-term and regular enforcement.
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