China Sentences 3 to Prison over Syringe Attacks
A court in western China’s Xinjiang region sentenced three people to up to 15 years in prison Saturday for a series of mysterious syringe attacks that led to mass protests against the local government.
The protests by tens of thousands of Han Chinese earlier this month said the government can’t guarantee their safety. More than 500 people in Urumqi have reported being attacked, though state media said only about 100 showed evidence of being pricked.
The Intermediate People’s Court in the regional capital, Urumqi, sentenced 19-year-old Yilipan Yilihamu to 15 years for inserting a needle into a woman’s buttock on Aug. 28, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
China Central Television said the teen was just about to start college and had no previous criminal record. He plans to appeal, the report said.
