Judge and lawyer: Rioters in Lhasa unrest receive fair trials, sentences

Source: Xinhua | 02-20-2009 08:26

LHASA, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- The trials and sentences of the people jailed for their involvement in the March 14 riot last yearin Lhasa, Tibet were in line with Chinese laws and fair, said judges and lawyers Thursday.

The trials for the suspects had strictly followed the Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China and the Criminal Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China, said Gaisang Doje, deputy head of the criminal tribunal of the Lhasa Intermediate People's Court, in an interview with Xinhua.

The proceedings were conducted in Tibetan. The court also provided translations among the defendants and the Han judges and lawyers.

All the fees for translation and lawyers during the proceedings were paid by the regional center for legal aid.

"We have designated defence lawyers for the suspects who could not afford to hire their own lawyers," he said. "The lawyers' ideas were fully respected during the trials."