Two Former Chinese Defense Ministers Sentenced to Suspended Death Penalty; Analysis: May Pave the Way for Zhang Youxia's Case
Two former Chinese defense ministers, Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, were sentenced to a suspended death penalty with a two-year reprieve by a military court. Analysts suggest this harsher sentence, compared to previous corruption cases involving high-ranking military officials, might be a prelude to the sentencing of Zhang Youxia.
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Central News
(Central News Agency Reporter Zhang Shuling Beijing 7th Report) China's two former defense ministers, Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, were today sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve by a military court in a first-instance trial. The sentence is heavier than previous corruption cases involving high-ranking Central Military Commission officials. Expert Shen Mingshi analyzed that the reason for the suspended death sentence might not just be bribery and accepting bribes, and this verdict could be a prelude to Zhang Youxia's upcoming sentencing.
Xinhua News Agency reported that Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu were both sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve in a first-instance trial by a military court today, with lifelong deprivation of political rights and confiscation of all personal property. They will face life imprisonment without commutation or parole. Wei Fenghe was accused of bribery, while Li Shangfu was accused of both bribery and offering bribes.
Shen Mingshi, a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research specializing in the Chinese Communist Party's military, told a Central News Agency reporter that the publicly reported charges only mention bribery and accepting bribes, making the suspended death sentence somewhat surprising.
He mentioned that in similar bribery cases, Guo Boxiong, former vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2016; Fang Fenghui, former chief of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission, was also sentenced to life imprisonment in 2019 for bribery, offering bribes, and unexplained large amounts of property. Neither of them received a suspended death sentence. Former vice chairman of the Central Military Commission Xu Caihou was also suspected of bribery and died of bladder cancer in 2015 before being sentenced.
Shen Mingshi said that the suspended death sentence for Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu "probably has other reasons" that the authorities are unwilling to disclose, with leaking secrets being a possibility. Moreover, a suspended death sentence means no commutation or release on parole, implying imprisonment until death, "this political intention is quite obvious."
He believes that the suspended death sentence is also likely paving the way for the verdict of Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, who fell from grace earlier this year.
China's official announcement on January 24 stated that Zhang Youxia and Central Military Commission member Liu Zhenli were investigated for serious disciplinary violations.
In addition, Chinese state media reports on Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu's suspended death sentences did not mention the amounts of their bribes or accepted bribes, which sparked discussion among Chinese netizens today.
Shen Mingshi speculated that the reason for not stating the amount is that if the sentence is clearly disproportionate to the amount of corruption, it would be criticized by outsiders, "the purpose of this verdict is more inclined to be a political warning."
He mentioned that sentences for former Central Military Commission member Miao Hua and former Central Military Commission vice chairman He Weidong are still pending. If their corruption amounts are higher, it would raise the question of whether they must be sentenced to death, causing trouble for future verdicts. (Edited by: Yang Shengru) 1150507
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(Central News Agency Reporter Zhang Shuling Beijing 7th Report) China's two former defense ministers, Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, were today sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve by a military court in a first-instance trial. The sentence is heavier than previous corruption cases involving high-ranking Central Military Commission officials. Expert Shen Mingshi analyzed that the reason for the suspended death sentence might not just be bribery and accepting bribes, and this verdict could be a prelude to Zhang Youxia's upcoming sentencing.
Xinhua News Agency reported that Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu were both sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve in a first-instance trial by a military court today, with lifelong deprivation of political rights and confiscation of all personal property. They will face life imprisonment without commutation or parole. Wei Fenghe was accused of bribery, while Li Shangfu was accused of both bribery and offering bribes.
Shen Mingshi, a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research specializing in the Chinese Communist Party's military, told a Central News Agency reporter that the publicly reported charges only mention bribery and accepting bribes, making the suspended death sentence somewhat surprising.
He mentioned that in similar bribery cases, Guo Boxiong, former vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2016; Fang Fenghui, former chief of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission, was also sentenced to life imprisonment in 2019 for bribery, offering bribes, and unexplained large amounts of property. Neither of them received a suspended death sentence. Former vice chairman of the Central Military Commission Xu Caihou was also suspected of bribery and died of bladder cancer in 2015 before being sentenced.
Shen Mingshi said that the suspended death sentence for Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu "probably has other reasons" that the authorities are unwilling to disclose, with leaking secrets being a possibility. Moreover, a suspended death sentence means no commutation or release on parole, implying imprisonment until death, "this political intention is quite obvious."
He believes that the suspended death sentence is also likely paving the way for the verdict of Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, who fell from grace earlier this year.
China's official announcement on January 24 stated that Zhang Youxia and Central Military Commission member Liu Zhenli were investigated for serious disciplinary violations.
In addition, Chinese state media reports on Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu's suspended death sentences did not mention the amounts of their bribes or accepted bribes, which sparked discussion among Chinese netizens today.
Shen Mingshi speculated that the reason for not stating the amount is that if the sentence is clearly disproportionate to the amount of corruption, it would be criticized by outsiders, "the purpose of this verdict is more inclined to be a political warning."
He mentioned that sentences for former Central Military Commission member Miao Hua and former Central Military Commission vice chairman He Weidong are still pending. If their corruption amounts are higher, it would raise the question of whether they must be sentenced to death, causing trouble for future verdicts. (Edited by: Yang Shengru) 1150507
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you provide is the power to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and audio-visual content on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and utilized without authorization.