Xinhua News, 2009-07-19
The Yunnan Provincial High Court declared not guilty two defendants sentenced to death by a lower court for their alleged role in trafficking 1.7 kg of heroin. Mo Weiqi and Xie Kaiqi had appealed their original convictions, claiming they had no knowledge heroin was hidden in the interlining of their luggage, which they believed only carried samples of jade their employer had requested. The high court found the mens rea element missing in their case, as well as “mistakes in determining the facts and applying the law.” Although the court also found that another defendant in the case, Xiong Zhengjiang, qualified for leniency because of his clear confession and “relatively good attitude,” it upheld his capital sentence.
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