New | Family calls for wrongful conviction probe after man spends six years on death row
The Fujian defendant, first found guilty of double murder in 2008, went through suffering until he was finally freed on Friday
A relative and the lawyer of a man acquitted of murdering two children after previous trials found him guilty are urging authorities to investigate the wrongful convictions.
Nian Bin, a 38-year-old hawker, was arrested for the murder of two children with rat poison in 2006 in Fujian province. He supposedly pleaded guilty, but after he was convicted in 2008 by the Fuzhou Intermediate Court, he appealed, claiming police had tortured him into confessing.
He spent more than six years on death row while appeals were considered. Finally on Friday, the Fuzhou High Court released him, saying there wasn’t enough evidence to convict.
“There was a lot of evidence to show that my brother was innocent,” said Nian’s sister, Jianlan, who led the petitioning campaign. “But we didn’t know what the final appeal would rule until the last minute. We were not sure if the authorities were willing to be confronted with their mistake.”
Despite his freedom, Nian went into hiding immediately after being released, as the family of the children who died are still looking for him for revenge.
“They still believe my brother killed their dear children, and I can feel their pain,” said Jianlan. “Both that family and ours are the victims of wrongful convictions. I hope the authorities will open an investigation to give us the truth we deserve.”
Nian Bin’s father died while his son was in jail. His mother was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Nian’s son, who was four at the time of the arrest, is 12 now and barely recognised his father’s face.
