Griping farmer appeals jail term
By Li Xinran |
May 7, 2010, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A FARMER in a north China county is awaiting the final ruling after the court of first instance sentenced him to three years of imprisonment for blackmailing local government because of his constant complaining against the village authority over the seizure of his land.
The Linxian County People's Court in Luliang City of Shanxi Province said Ma Jiwen pressured local authorities to give him 7,500 yuan (US$1,099) on two occasions to cancel his trip to Beijing for further complaining, which was enough for his being found guilty of blackmailing.
The court also said that Ma falsified the official license to his rights to develop 10 hectares of farmland in Chaijiacha Village.
The court issued the ruling on November 6, China Youth Daily reported yesterday.
However, the newspaper quoted a former Party chief of the village, who said that Ma paid for the development of the land, which used to be a deserted ditch, and the ownership of nearby three cave dwellings in the early 1980s.
Lu Chengyang told the newspaper that he himself handed the license to Ma.
Lu served as Party secretary of the village between 1973 and 1994.
Nonetheless, the village authority took back the land in 1999, claiming that Ma had owed the village five years worth of contract fees.
Ma filed a suit against the seizure and won it in 2000, but the ruling to return Ma's land was never enforced.
The land was since occupied by several local villagers who chopped down trees Ma planted and did no maintenance.
A local forensics report said the land could have produced 160,000 yuan worth crops in the past 10 years had it been tended.
Ma's wife said her husband was beaten or confined several times during his protests.
Lu said he was forced by cadres from the county government to testify there was no official seal on the license certificate.
"It was already stamped by the county government when I saw it in my office," Lu said.
The chief of the panel of judges that found Ma guilty was the same who ordered the return of Ma's land in 2000.
Ma had appealed to the Luliang Intermediate People's Court, said the newspaper.
The Linxian County People's Court in Luliang City of Shanxi Province said Ma Jiwen pressured local authorities to give him 7,500 yuan (US$1,099) on two occasions to cancel his trip to Beijing for further complaining, which was enough for his being found guilty of blackmailing.
The court also said that Ma falsified the official license to his rights to develop 10 hectares of farmland in Chaijiacha Village.
The court issued the ruling on November 6, China Youth Daily reported yesterday.
However, the newspaper quoted a former Party chief of the village, who said that Ma paid for the development of the land, which used to be a deserted ditch, and the ownership of nearby three cave dwellings in the early 1980s.
Lu Chengyang told the newspaper that he himself handed the license to Ma.
Lu served as Party secretary of the village between 1973 and 1994.
Nonetheless, the village authority took back the land in 1999, claiming that Ma had owed the village five years worth of contract fees.
Ma filed a suit against the seizure and won it in 2000, but the ruling to return Ma's land was never enforced.
The land was since occupied by several local villagers who chopped down trees Ma planted and did no maintenance.
A local forensics report said the land could have produced 160,000 yuan worth crops in the past 10 years had it been tended.
Ma's wife said her husband was beaten or confined several times during his protests.
Lu said he was forced by cadres from the county government to testify there was no official seal on the license certificate.
"It was already stamped by the county government when I saw it in my office," Lu said.
The chief of the panel of judges that found Ma guilty was the same who ordered the return of Ma's land in 2000.
Ma had appealed to the Luliang Intermediate People's Court, said the newspaper.
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