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Article: One Chinese lawyer's crusade: In China, which widely metes out the death penalty, 12 death-row inmates have won reprieves in appeals launched by Li Yunlong.(World)
- Article from:
- The Christian Science Monitor
- Article date:
- July 3, 2002
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 The Christian Science Publishing Society. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Jasper Becker Special to The Christian Science Monitor
BEIJING -- Xia Lianggui, a farmer's son from the southeastern province of Jiangxi, raped his girlfriend. When she demanded they marry, he strangled her. Although he was a minor, Chinese courts sentenced the youth to death.
But then defense attorney Li Yunlong took on the case.
"[His] father spent all night traveling to see me," says Mr. Li, recalling the case of a few years ago with pride. "I discovered that although the court said he was 18 ... his residence card said he was underage." The youth was sent to a prison for minors, and after two years, his sentence was reduced ...