2014-08-22
Nian Bin (R) after his release, Aug. 22, 2014.
Photo courtesy of Qiao Long.
A court in the southeastern Chinese province of Fujian on Friday overturned a death penalty handed down to a man who spent the last eight years on death row, though he has always maintained he was forced to confess to the murder of two children through torture.
The case against Nian Bin was finally overturned by the Fujian Provincial High People's Court on Friday, which found Nian not guilty of all charges before releasing him unconditionally to his joyful relatives.
"The accused Nian Bin is innocent, and bears no responsibility for costs," the court said in a terse statement.
Nian's brother Nian Xiaobin said the family was overjoyed at the result, which came after eight years of legal battles, including a trip to Hong Kong to find expert witnesses.
"After a long eight years, Nian Bin has finally returned home, having cleared his name," Nian Xiaobin told RFA on Friday.
"We are very happy after having waited so long for justice—such belated justice," he said.
He said Nian's relatives had been warned to remain silent in court while the decision was read out.
"They told us not to say anything after the hearing began, for fear of a slanging match breaking out," Nian Xiaobin said. "[They] were very angry."
A long wait
Meanwhile, Nian's defense lawyer Zhang Yansheng said the decision was the result of "long years of labor" on the part of his family and lawyers.
But she said media reporting of the case had likely played a decisive role.
"Nian Bin is the son of a farmer, and his family has no powerful connections or privilege," Zhang said.
"If the media hadn't brought his case to public attention, it's unlikely we would have arrived at today's result," she told RFA after the decision was announced.
"The role the media played was crucial."
Nian was initially detained by authorities in Fujian's island county of Pingtan on July 27, 2007 in connection with the poisoning of a family in Aoqian village which led to the deaths of two children the previous year.
Police said at the time that they found traces of rat poison on the door handle of Nian's apartment next door to the family's home, and that Nian confessed to the murders.
Nian was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death by the Intermediate People's Court in the provincial capital, Fuzhou, in 2008.
