Man sentenced to six years behind bars for Beijing airport explosion

Source:Global Times Published: 2013-10-16 1:18:01

A court sentenced the man convicted of the Beijing airport explosion in July to six years in prison on Tuesday after considering the motive, circumstances and social harm of his crime.

Ji Zhongxing, 33, a wheelchair-bound man, received the sentence for detonating a homemade explosive device at the arrivals hall in Terminal 3 at Beijing Capital International Airport on July 20. The explosion severely injured him and caused minor injuries to a police officer at the scene, according to a ruling by the Chaoyang District People's Court in Beijing.

Ji did not appeal the sentence and said he needed further consideration to make a decision.

Ji began the incident by handing out fliers that read "paying off old scores" while shifting the explosive device between two hands. He ignited it after a police officer arrived on the scene and tried to stop him.

Controversies over the verdict concentrated on whether Ji ignited the bomb intentionally. He argued that the explosion was an accident, while the prosecutor stated that he premeditated the act by traveling from Shandong with the device and avoiding security checks, adding that he was fully conscious about the consequences of his actions.

Ji has been petitioning for eight years about his paralysis, allegedly caused by a beating from several security officers in Dongguan, Guangdong Province in 2005, which eventually led to the explosion in a quest for attention.

The court said the cause did not affect the verdict as citizens should not adopt extreme ways that might threaten public safety to secure their rights.

Liu Xiaoyuan, Ji's defense lawyer, wrote on his Sina Weibo Tuesday that he will meet Ji to provide further assistance.

The court also said that Ji received a minor sentence because he warned passengers to stay away from the bomb at the scene and confessed his crimes.

Global Times



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