73% back death penalty in graft cases

There is an overwhelming support for death penalty in corruption cases, according to an online survey conducted by Social Survey Center of China Youth Daily on Nov 4, 2014.

It claims that 73.2 percent of 2,105 respondents think that the death sentence should continue to be applied in graft cases.

A draft amendment to the Criminal Law, which was submitted on Oct 27 to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for a first reading, made revision to some anti-graft articles, including embezzlement and bribery.

This draft mulls scrapping the death penalty for nine crimes following the last draft which had abolished the punishment for 13 crimes.

It is natural that China would remove death penalty after the country joins related international organizations, the report quoted Che Hao, associate professor at Peking University Law School, as saying.

The crimes that no more carry the death sentence are mainly economic and nonviolent in nature. "But the abolishment of death penalty is not only a legal issue but also a political case," Che said.

Considering the ongoing anti-graft campaign and people's high expectations, it would be prudent to keep the death sentence for corruption cases, he added.