【新唐人2013年12月24日讯】备受法律界及社会关注的“乐平死刑冤案”，12月20号在江苏省苏州市召开研讨会。大陆各地四十多位律师、专家、学者参加了这次会议，会上以“江西乐平命案”等案件为例，就死刑的存废及“刑讯逼供”等问题展开讨论。
山东律师张维玉是“乐平死刑冤案”的代理律师之一。他表示，大部分参加研讨会的律师都认为大陆应该“废除死刑”。
山东律师张维玉：“全世界都是这么一个趋势，要废除死刑。再一个就是，本身这个死刑，对于减少犯罪率，没有多大作用。再一个，对于当前中国这种现实情况来说，死刑不仅不能减少犯罪率，反倒成为一个器官移植的这样一种渠道。大家非常反对。”
在众多主张“废除死刑”的理由当中，“误判”是一个重要因素。支持“废除死刑”的律师认为，在当前大陆司法不公，死刑可能被公权力滥用的环境下，只有废除，才能避免冤案。
张维玉：“现在，当权的一些人，或者说是有权势地位的这么一些人，他们可能利用这种死刑，可以消灭、可以作为灭口的一种手段，让这些人都没有再开口的一个机会。”
据资料显示，中国每年判决死刑立即执行的案件近万起，差不多是世界其他国家死刑案件总和的5倍，其中很多都是冤、假、错案，而“刑讯逼供”又是造成冤案最常见的手段。
张维玉：“自从接触这样的一些案子之后啊，有很多人跟我联系，应该是比较多的。就是说，通过刑讯逼供、通过口供判处一个人死刑，或者判处死缓的案子应该还是比较多的。”
以发生在2000年5月4号的“江西乐平死刑冤案”为例，乐平中店村方春平等四位村民在酷刑逼供下，不得不招供是一起抢劫、强奸、碎尸案的凶手。四人一审判处死刑，后改为死缓。十多年来，这四位所谓的“罪犯”和家属，为昭雪冤情不断抗争，但都无济于事。
直到2011年11月，另一名嫌疑犯方林崽被捕，承认自己是案件的凶手，才给方春平等人重获自由带来了一线希望。但在当前中国大陆司法现状下，案件的重审、改判依然是困难重重。
张维玉：“他们一直坚持他们是非常冤枉的。方林崽他自己承认了他是杀人凶手之后，他们的情绪更加激动，又一次的绝食，实际上在之前他们也绝食过。他们的家里人呢，在这十几年期间也多次上访。其中我的当事人方春平他的父亲曾经在北京就因为上访被判过刑，他的妻子、他的母亲也因为上访被拘留过。”
此外，据统计，目前大陆公开报导被错判冤死的无辜公民多达十数人，其中包括聂树斌、滕兴善、呼格吉勒图、曹海鑫、佘祥林、杜培武等人。另外还有很多民间争议极大的案子，如夏俊峰案、上海杨佳案等。
而所谓“严打”期间，被错判死刑的冤案，更是数不胜数。据资料显示，1983年仅“严打”一年，就有24000人被法院判处死刑。
支持死刑的观点认为，废除死刑有违民意，因为罪大恶极者判处死刑可以缓解民愤，尤其民众最不能忍受的，是取消对贪污受贿者处以死刑。
但反对者指出，中国自建政以来，因贪污受贿被处死的官员寥寥无几，甚至一些在民间要求判处死刑呼声很高的贪官，也只是被判处死缓。而且近年来引起极大民愤的“强奸幼女案”，施暴者们得到的惩罚更是轻的令人难以置信，令受害者悲愤不已。
中间人士则指出，从两方面看，如果不废除死刑，在中国被判死刑的，多为贫穷、弱势群体或异议人士。但如果废除死刑，中国特色的司法腐败，会使得罪犯无期变有期，从有期不断减刑，最后逃离法律制裁。因此，问题的关键并不在于是否废除死刑，而在于国家的制度与司法是否公正。
采访编辑/张天宇 后制/钟元
Lawyers and experts call for abolishment of the death penalty
A forum focusing on the Leping murder case and its victims
was held on Dec. 20 in Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province,
with over 40 lawyers, experts and scholars in attendance.
Participants used the Leping case and other similar incidents
to discuss the abolishment of torture and the death penalty.
Shandong attorney Zhang Weiyu was an attorney
for the defendants in the Leping murder case.
He says the majority of participants in the recent forum agree
that the death penalty should be abolished.
Zhang Weiyu, Shandong lawyer:
“Abolishment of the death penalty is a global trend.
Firstly, the death penalty itself does not reduce crime rates.
Secondly, the death penalty in China today has become
a source for organ transplantation. Everyone opposes it."
Among the many reasons for abolishing the death penalty is
the risk of error in judgment.
Lawyers supporting an end to the penalty say China’s current
justice system under the Communist regime is likely to
abuse the system and conduct miscarriages of justice.
Only terminating the death penalty can avoid injustice.
Zhang Weiyu: “Those holding power in the current regime
often abuse the death penalty, and use it as a means
to silence people they don’t want to speak up."
Statistics show that every year China conducts
tens of thousands of executions, roughly five times
the total executions done in the rest of the world combined.
Many of them have been filed as unjust, false or wrong cases,
and torture is the most common cause of the injustice.
Zhang Weiyu: “Ever since I have dealt with these kinds of
cases, many people have contacted me.
Many death sentences or death sentences with reprieve
are given based on confessions obtained via torture."
The Jiangxi Leping murder case happened on May 4, 2000.
Four villagers in Leping were tortured to confess to
allegations of involvement in robbery, rape and murder.
The four of them received death sentences with reprieve.
The defendants and their families have continued making
every effort for more than 10 years to get redress for the
injustice, but to no avail.
It wasn’t until November 2011 that four victims saw hope
for freedom, when suspect Fang Linzai was arrested and
admitted that he was the real murderer in the Leping case.
However, many difficulties still exist for a retrial under the
current justice system in China.
Zhang Weiyu: “They have been insisting on their innocence.
Fang Linzai’s admittance to being the murderer
boosted their morale. They went on hunger strike again.
They have had the hunger strike before.
In the past 10 years, their families
have petitioned for their release many times.
It’s just like with my client, Fang Chunping, who’s father
was sentenced because he went to Beijing to petition.
His wife and mother have also been jailed for petitioning."
There have been more than a dozen publicly reported
unjust cases involving innocent citizens being
wrongfully convicted.
During the campaign to “crack down on crime”, the number
of mistrials given the death penalty has been countless.
The campaign to “crack down on crime” began in 1983, and
within a year, led to 24,000 people being sentenced to death.
Those who support the death penalty say that abolition
of the death penalty would oppose public opinion,
as the death penalty eases public anger to the criminals.
The people especially oppose the abolition of
the death penalty for corrupt officials.
They also say that since the ruling of the Communist regime,
cases of corrupt officials getting death sentences have been few.
Sometimes when the public highly demands a corrupt official
get the death penalty, the most they’d get
is a death sentence with reprieve.
In particular, the official who raped a toddler received
an unbelievably light sentence, causing the victim’s family
tremendous resentment and anger.
Those sitting on the fence on the issue say that one hand,
if the death penalty continues, it’s mostly the disadvantaged,
the poor, and dissidents who become the victims.
But on the other hand, if the death penalty is abolished, the
corrupt judicial system under the current regime will reduce
life-imprisonment to term imprisonment, reduce the years of
sentences to a minimum, and finally escape legal sanction.
Thus, the death penalty is not the issue, the justice of
the government and the judicial system is the key.
Interview & Edit/ZhangTianyu Post-Production/ZhongYuan
