Death sentence, life term in toy brawl case
- Source: Global Times
- [02:43 October 12 2009]
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One man was sentenced to death and another to life in prison over a toy factory brawl on June 26 that left two Uygur workers dead in South China's Guangdong Province, court officials said Saturday.
Two local courts in Shaoguan, Guangdong also sentenced nine other people to prison terms ranging from five to eight years after first-instance trials regarding the fatal brawl in the Xuri Toy Factory in Shaoguan.
The Intermediate People's Court of Shaoguan held Xiao Jianhua was the principal instigator of the brawl, who incited his co-workers to join the affray between Han and Uygur workers in the factory, and led the assault.
Xiao was sentenced to death and fellow worker Xu Qiqi was given a life jail term for manslaughter.
The same court also sentenced three of Xiao's accomplices to prison terms from seven to eight years on assault charges.
Two Uygur workers from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region – Aximujiang Aimaiti and Sadikejiang Kaze – were beaten to death, and three were severely injured and six slightly injured in the brawl.
The court heard the fight started after a Uygur male worker was found by other workers chasing a Han woman intern in the factory.
Xiao and his accomplices used iron bars to beat the Uygur workers, and obstructed medical workers from treating the injured.
The People's Court of Wujiang district, Shaoguan, on Saturday sentenced three other Han workers who were convicted of participating in a group affray to prison terms ranging from six to seven years.
Three Uygur workers who used violence in the brawl were also convicted at the same court of participating in the group affray. They were given to prison terms from five to six years.
It was believed that mobs had used the brawl as an excuse to ignite the fatal riots in Xinjiang in July, which was allegedly orchestrated by Rebiya Kadeer. The riots caused the death of 197 people, and injured more than 1,700 people.
Xinhua/Global Times
