China court finds prisoner not guilty after 27 years behind bars News
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China court finds prisoner not guilty after 27 years behind bars

The High People’s Court of Jiangxi in China has declared Zhang Yuhuan, 53, the country’s longest-serving wrongfully convicted person not guilty in a retrial after almost 27 years in prison.

Zhang’s wrongful conviction and subsequent release stem from a 1993 murder case where two boys were found dead in a reservoir in Jinxian, Jiangxi Province. State officials had detained Zhang and arrested him on murder charges.

A court found Zhang guilty of murder two years later and imposed the death penalty. However, the court allowed the sentence to be reduced if Zhang served the first two years without committing any crimes.

Zhang repeatedly denied involvement in the killing. After a failed appeal in 2001, he successfully convinced the Jiangxi High Court for a retrial in March 2019, and the case was finally adjudicated in July. “After we reviewed the materials, we have found there is no direct evidence that can prove Zhang’s conviction. So we accepted the prosecutors’ suggestion and have declared Zhang innocent,” judge Tian Ganlin stated after delivering the decision on Tuesday.

Zhang’s lawyer indicated that he will be seeking relief for Zhang through the state compensation fund. He is also wanting to hold those responsible for his original sentencing accountable.

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