China: Halt Imminent Execution of Xia Junfeng

(Chinese Human Rights Defenders – September 24, 2013) – The Chinese government must halt the imminent execution of Mr. Xia Junfeng (夏俊峰), a street vendor who was convicted of “intentional homicide” and sentenced to death for killing two city management officers in 2009. Information received by CHRD indicates that China’s Supreme People’s Court (SPC) is likely to announce on the morning of September 25 whether to approve Xia’s death sentence. Once the SPC approves the sentence, Chinese law allows for Xia’s execution to be carried out immediately or within seven days of the court’s decision.
 
“Xia Junfeng acted in self-defense, which led to the deaths of two chengguan officers who were viciously attacking him, and he should be innocent of any crime, according to the law,” said Teng Biao, Xia’s attorney, whom CHRD reached for comments. “According to China’s Criminal Procedure Law, the evidence used to determine that Xia’s actions constitute a crime is rife with loopholes, and leaves considerable doubts. The Supreme People’s Court has no basis for approving the death sentence, and must send the case back for re-trial.”
 
On November 15, 2009, the Shenyang City Intermediate People’s Court convicted Xia Junfeng of “intentional homicide” for killing two City Administration and Law Enforcement officers (chengguan) as they were violently beating him. On May 9, 2011, the Liaoning Provincial High People’s Court upheld the original death sentence.
 
 
For more information on the case of Xia Junfeng, see:
 
CHRD communiqué submitted in April 2013 on behalf of Mr. Xia to the UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Executions:
 
http://chrdnet.com/2013/05/submission-to-un-on-xia-junfeng-april-17-2013/
 
 
Defense statement (in English) by lawyer Teng Biao to the Liaoning Provincial High People’s Court at Xia Junfeng’s second-instance trial:
 
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NTA-2Ngzx8uIwcQMD-rFDBDouC_4BcJhLB6Vas1Wwuo/pub
 
 
Contacts
 
Renee Xia, International Director, +1 240 374 8937, reneexia@chrdnet.com
 
Victor Clemens, Researcher, +852 8192 7875, victorclemens@chrdnet.com