Chinese man cleared of murder after 23 years

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Jin Zhehong, 50, was convicted of the murder of a 20-year-old woman in 1995 and sentenced to death. After spending 23 years in jail, he was finally exonerated on Friday by Jilin Provincial Higher People's Court which ruled that the evidence against him "was insufficient and the facts not clear.”

A court in the northeastern Chinese province had found the motorcyclist guilty of killing a young hitchhiker and leaving her body in a ditch.

Jin was always protesting his innocence and challenging the verdict. His appeals started to gain traction in 2014, but he still had to wait for four years for "justice."

On May 9, the Higher People's Court decided to reinvestigate the case.

Li Jinxing, Jin's lawyer, told the South China Morning Post that the court actually does not have solid evidence to prove the murder case as there were many contradictory points, including the exact time, place of death and the murder weapon. The court even did not find Jin's DNA on the deceased's body.

“I'm not the killer,” Jin said outside court on Friday morning. Li told the media that Jin's psychological and physical state had been damaged in prison.

Jin Zhehong appeared outside court on Friday morning alongside his lawyers and his son, Jin Yongxin. /VCG Photo

“He has had a stroke and suffers from several illnesses including high blood pressure, diabetes, stomach and heart disease. His psychological state is very bad.” Li said.

During the interview with Thepaper.cn, Jin was asked about his initial feelings when he was told that he was being released.

“I did not get the feeling of freedom," he said. "I don't know where I will go. My father fought in the Chinese civil war and helped defend Korea against the U.S. in the Korean War. My mother died of illness brought on by my situation, and when she passed away, her eyes were open. My wife left me after waiting several years outside of jail. I have nothing after 23 years.

“How many 23 years do you have in a life? I feel sorry for my son. I didn't see my son for one month. Right now, what I most want to do is to accompany my son and pay my respects at my parent's gravestones.”

On his life in prison, Jin said, “I had a regular life in jail. Except for eating and sleeping, I always did some reading, especially on music, news and legal aspects. I want more knowledge about the law and read more cases to clear up my situation. I did not murder anyone.”

“Even late justice is still justice,” lawyer Li told the Post, adding that he was satisfied that Jin's name had finally been cleared. According to Li, Jin was not seeking immediate compensation as his first priority is physical and mental recovery.

“Jin's verdict would give hope to others who were awaiting retrial and should motivate the government to speed up efforts to improve China's court appeals system,” Li said.

(Cover Photo: VCG Photo)