The Li Qinghong Mafia Association Case

• Author: China Law Digest compiled news

In March，2010, Guiyang City Intermediate People’s Court held at first instance that Li Qinghong, the first defendant, and 17 other defendants were guilty of organizing, leading and attending a mafia and the first defendant was sentenced to 19 years imprisonment. In July, Guizhou High People’s Court overruled the first instance judgment and remanded the case to the lower court for retrial. In August, Guiyang City Intermediate People’s Court allowed Guiyang City People’s Procuratorate to withdraw its prosecution. However, after the withdrawal of the prosecution, Guiyang City Public Security Bureau did not release the defendants, but instead added the witnesses appearing at second instance as defendants of the case, thereby increasing the total number of criminal suspects to 57. In August 2011, the defendants were prosecuted by Xiaohe District People’s Procuratorate and the case was tried by Xiaohe District People’s Court.

On January. 13, 2012, about 10 lawyers complained to the...