Accused terrorist fights to clear name

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-11-26 10:34

A villager detained for 15 months on terrorism charges after threatening to explode his own home if relocated by force is fighting to clear his name in a Beijing court.

Li Guoliang, 36, was sentenced to 15 months in jail for spreading false terrorism information at Daxing district court on July 7. However the Beijing No 1 Intermediate People's Court overturned the ruling on appeal and ordered a retrial at the district court.

The retrial opened on Tuesday but the court is yet to deliver a verdict.

"I am confident I will be able to clear my name this time because the prosecutors did not show any convincing new evidence," he said.

Li lived in Sanhuaitang village in Daxing district, which was scheduled for demolition in early 2008. He claimed his house occupied an area of 260 sq m, but was offered an apartment of 190 sq m at a price of 2,000 yuan per sq m. Li believed the compensation was unreasonable and refused to sign the agreement.

Reporters from a Hong Kong news agency interviewed Li on July 27, 2008. During the interview, Li said if he was forced to move out of his house, he would explode a gas cylinder inside the property.

Li was detained by police on Aug 10, 2008 and held for almost 15 months.

Daxing district court sentenced Li to 15 months in jail for deliberately spreading false terrorism information. It ruled that the time he spent in detention would be included in his custodial sentence and would end on Nov 9.

However, Li appealed to the Beijing No 1 Intermediate People's Court. On Nov 2, the court found there was a lack of evidence and ordered a retrial.

Li was given bail on Nov 6. If he is found innocent during the retrial then he will be eligible for compensation for time spent in detention, and will have money to pay for rent. If he is found guilty, he will serve the remaining three days of his sentence.

Li told METRO outside court that he was an accountant but had been fired since being taken into detention. His home was demolished two months after he was arrested by police.

Li and his mother rent an apartment but have not received any compensation for the demolished apartment.

Han Yusheng, deputy director of criminal law research center at Renmin University of China, said the first-instance judgment was not appropriate because Li only told the information to reporters, not the public. Han said the words could be classed as emotional only.

"His words can only be considered as expression of a crime and they are not illegal," Han said.