Nie Shubin: a victim of the arbitrary in China
Asia
China executes more people every year than any other country.
Nie Shubin, a young worker from a rural region in the province of Hebei in northern China, was executed for murder and rape in 1995. After he was arrested, the police allegedly tortured him until he made a false confession.
At the beginning of 2005, a man arrested for other criminal offences allegedly confessed to the crimes attributed to Nie Shubin and supposedly even provided a precise description of the crime scene. The legal authorities subsequently recognised their mistake.
Nie Shubin’s family was not informed about his situation in the eyes of the law after his sentence had been passed. They have still not received a copy of the judgement. His father discovered that Nie Shubin had been executed as he travelled to the prison to bring him food. His father then attempted suicide. His mother has added, “I only have one son, all my hopes rested with him. They have destroyed my future…Without my son, my family and I cannot go on”.
His family are demanding compensation from the authorities.
Collectif Chine JO 2008 asks the Chinese authorities to suspend executions across China, with a view to eventually abolishing the death penalty.
