【Epoch Times, December 20, 2024】In December last year, after 35 years of wrongful conviction, 53-year-old farmer Zhou Yonggang finally walked out of the court as an innocent man. Recently, Zhou Yonggang received compensation. His defense lawyer Sun Kuo stated that the next step is to apply for holding those involved in his wrongful case accountable.
Zhou Yonggang was born in March 1970 in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia, as an ordinary farmer. On July 1, 1988, two 18-year-old sisters were found murdered in the grasslands outside the village. Zhou Yonggang, who was 18 at the time and was the first to discover the bodies, was immediately treated as a suspect by the police. In August of the same year, he was arrested on charges of rape and intentional murder, and later sentenced to death with a reprieve by the local court. At that time, he had been married to his wife for just over 5 months, and she was already pregnant.
During his imprisonment, Zhou Yonggang continuously appealed. To clear his name, his family also traveled to Hohhot, Beijing, and other places for appeals. According to incomplete statistics, Zhou Yonggang’s family purchased 337 bus tickets and 461 train tickets.
On December 5, 2009, after multiple reductions in his sentence, Zhou Yonggang was released. By that time, he had served 21 years, 4 months, and 4 days in prison.
After his release, he worked to support his family while continuing to appeal and search for clues to find the real culprit. In May 2018, with the help of his lawyer, Zhou Yonggang once again filed an appeal to the court.
After a review by the Inner Mongolia Prosecutor’s Office, a retrial was recommended. Finally, on December 20, 2023, the Inner Mongolia High Court ruled that the evidence in the case was insufficient to form a complete chain of evidence. They concluded that there was not enough evidence to substantiate the claims against Zhou Yonggang, and that some of the details he provided did not match the crime scene investigation. The original verdict was overturned, and Zhou Yonggang was declared innocent.
However, it took a full 35 years from Zhou Yonggang’s conviction in 1988 to the retrial by the Inner Mongolia High Court in 2023, before his name was finally cleared.
In May 2024, Zhou Yonggang submitted a “National Criminal Compensation Application” to the Inner Mongolia State Compensation Commission. In addition to financial compensation, he also requested the responsible parties to publicly eliminate the impact on him within Inner Mongolia, make a formal apology, and restore his reputation.
In December 2024, Zhou Yonggang reached a settlement with the Inner Mongolia High Court on the issue of compensation, receiving a total of 5.8 million yuan in compensation. This is currently the highest compensation amount in wrongful conviction cases in the country.
Zhou Yonggang’s attorney, Sun Kuo, confirmed to mainland media reporters recently that Zhou Yonggang had received the compensation last week. Sun Kuo also disclosed that Zhou Yonggang’s next step would be to seek accountability for those involved in his case.
The official media has extensively reported on Zhou Yonggang receiving compensation, stating, “After 21 years in prison, Zhou Yonggang receives 5.8 million yuan in state compensation.” This news has sparked heated discussions online.
Many netizens questioned, “Isn’t the core issue the wrongful conviction? Lack of evidence and still being deemed guilty. Isn’t that the main point to focus on?” “35 years passed, he would have earned more than this by even doing odd jobs, and his prime time of life was spent in prison. Can this compensation truly heal his wounds?”
Some expressed sympathy, “It’s tragic, he was just 18 in his prime.” “The judges and prosecutors should be held legally accountable.” “Yes, holding public officials accountable for their illegal actions is the only way to prevent wrongful convictions.” “If this were in the US, he would have received at least tens of millions of dollars in compensation.”
However, some netizens worry, “Holding them accountable will be difficult, there will always be reasons to evade responsibility.” “The ‘super detective’ in Hangzhou who coerced confessions is still in position, nothing will change.”