The family of the slain Chinese journalist is seeking some 380,000 yuan ($49,000) in compensation from the seven suspects who were tried Sunday by the Intermediate People’s Court in Linfen, Shanxi Province, the Xinhua News Agency said today.
As of this writing, the suspects’ identities have not been released while the trial is on-going. But one of the suspects included Hou Zhenrun, the owner of the coal mine, where all the suspects were believed to be working at the time of the victim’s death.
Lan Chengzhang, who worked as a reporter for the China Trade News, was investigating some facts behind the proliferation of illegal mining operations in the area on January 10, 2007, when he was killed, the state-run news agency said in a report.
The controversy has sparked outrage in China and overseas where human rights organizations branded the killing as a proof of undermining press freedom in China.
Consequently, Chinese President Hu Jintao had ordered a speedy investigation to pin down thos respondible for the journalist’s murder.
Six of the suspects were allegedly involved in the killing. While the mine owner’s responsibility falls on harboring the suspects.
Some local Chinese officials said that the victim was not an accredited journalist. They suspected that he was in the vicinity to extort money from the illegal mining operations in exchange for not reporting the matter to the authorities.
China is one of the Asian countries where the lives of practicing journalists are always at risk.
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