Beijing: A court in China`s Xinjiang region
sentenced four people to death over deadly riots in July,
bringing to 26 the number of those condemned to die for the
unrest, a government official said Tuesday.
The verdicts were handed down yesterday by a court in the
regional capital Urumqi, scene of the violence that pitted
mainly Muslim Uighurs against China`s Han ethnic majority,
leaving nearly 200 dead and over 1,600 injured.
"They were sentenced yesterday by the Urumqi Intermediate
Court," a spokesman at the Xinjiang government who gave only
his surname, Li, said.
"Four people were sentenced to death, one was sentenced
to death with a two-year reprieve and eight others got prison
terms of up to life."
A death sentence with a reprieve is normally commuted to
life in prison.
Yesterday`s sentences brought to 26 the number of people
who have been reported executed or condemned to die over their
roles in the unrest, some of the worst ethnic violence in
China in decades.
State media has reported previously that nine of those
executions were already carried out.
The Xinjiang Daily said yesterday`s verdicts came in five
separate cases with the 13 defendants charged with the
"violent crimes of attacking, smashing, looting and burning",
a Chinese term that means violent rioting.
Bureau Report
