Published by: THE WORLD UYGHUR NETWORK NEWS May 7, 1997

[Editor's note: Dates seem to indicate that another bombing incident

took place in 1996]

On 30 January, the Urumqi City Intermediate Court openly sentenced a

group of serious criminals in the courtroom of the autonomous regional

higher people's court. Sixteen criminals involved in 13 cases were

sentenced to death and deprived of political rights for life. They were

executed on the same day. Also tried were two criminals who took part

in the explosion on 13 February 1996 in Urumqi City.

The 13 cases tried were murder and robbery committed by Zhao Jian, Wang

Zhaojiang, and Bai Yuguo; murder and robbery committed by Huang Ping;

murder committed by Li Xinjian; murder committed by Yilihamu Yasheng;

murder committed by Maimaiti Mijiti; robbery and rape committed by Zhao

Xiangqian; theft and robbery committed by fugitive Wei Changyong; robbery committed by fugitive Song Chen; robbery committed by Mao Gang; theft committed by Zhang Hongxiang and Tian Guoying; theft committed by Zhang Zhongxing; drug trafficking involving Yusufu Mayinggui; and intentional injury (fatal) committed by Liao Jianguo.

Wearing masks and carrying instruments of crime, criminals Zhao Jian

and Wang Zhaojiang, along with the two brothers Bai Yuwen (still at

large) and Bai Yuguo, broke into a house on Zhongqiao First Lane in

Urumqi City at around 0400 on 8 August 1996. Under the pretext of

installing devices to prevent wiretapping, they forced open the door of

the house of a Mr. Zhang, a self-employed individual. After taking

110,000 yuan in cash, they killed Mao Juhua and Zhang Lei, Mr. Zhang's

wife and son; Mao Xiaoping; Mao Juhua's nephew; and Mao Lizhi and Mao

Xirong, Mao Juhua's nieces, with a dagger, and seriously wounded Mr.

Zhang.

The Urumqi City Intermediate Court decided to sentence the three

criminals to death on charges of murder and robbery and to deprive them

of political rights for life, on the grounds that their crimes of

teaming up to commit murder and robbery, killing five people, and

seriously wounding another were exceptionally vicious crimes committed

through exceptionally cruel means with exceptionally serious

consequences, and that their actions constituted murder and robbery.

The court decided to execute them and deprive them of political rights

for life after the sentencing.

The eight defendants who made up the bombing, robbery, and theft gang

involved in the 13 February explosion case were Maimaiti

Wubulihashengmu, Maimaiti Musilimu Abudureheman, Abudusilimu

Abuduailimu, Xierli Niyazi, Yusufu Keyoumu, Maimaiti Niyazi, Rouziaji

Aimaiti, and Abudureheman Aibaidula.

On 13 February 1996, defendants Maimaiti Wubulihashengmu and Maimaiti

Musilimu Abudureheman blew up a vehicle parked in front of the Xinjiang

Military District Teachers Training Center on Donghuan Road in Urumqi

City. During the explosion, a jeep and the building's glass windows

were seriously damaged, resulting in 369,000 yuan in direct economic

losses. The two defendants had committed other robberies and thefts

before.

The Urumqi City Intermediate Court sentenced Maimaiti Wubulihashengmu

to death and deprived him of political rights for life on charges of

explosion and robbery. It also sentenced him to life in prison on

charges of theft. Combining punishments for several offenses, the court

decided to execute him and deprive him of political rights for life.

Because defendant Maimaiti Musilimu Abudureheman confessed his crime,

the court sentenced him to death with a two-year reprieve on charges of

explosion, robbery, and theft. Combining punishments for several

offenses, the court decided to impose a two-year suspended death

sentence on him and to deprive him of political rights for life. The

other defendants involved in robbery and theft were either sentenced to

life in prison or given fixed-term imprisonment.