China admits man wrongfully imprisoned for 10 years after being tortured to confess

New Delhi, May 12 (ANI): In a startling disclosure, a Chinese man who was jailed for 10 years apparently for committing a murder has said that his confession was obtained as a result of torture during interrogation.

Zhao Zuohai who was wrongfully incarcerated for 10 years, talking about the atrocities meted out by Shangqui authorities, told China Daily, "They beat my head with a long stick. They asked me to drink something that made me really sleepy and set off fireworks above my head."

"They beat me in the police station and I had to admit to the crime then," he added.

Shangqui authorities have admitted that Zhao Zuohai was tortured during interrogation before he pleaded guilty, the paper reports.

Wang Jianmin, Party chief of the political and legislative affairs committee of Shangqiu, said on Tuesday that the police, the procuratorate and the court that were involved in the case 10 years ago are all responsible for this case of injustice.

"This is another sad, alarming case that strongly affects the credibility of our legal system", Yang Shaogang, a lawyer from Shanghai told the paper.

"There might be more such cases with no 'victims' coming back. I hope the local government in Henan will provide a satisfactory answer to the public regarding this case and punish those who are responsible," he added.(ANI)

However his newfound freedom holds little meaning to Zuohai, and, according to the paper, the man was crying inconsolably upon being released since he returned home only to find that most of his house had been damaged.

His wife has also remarried and taken away two of their children, while his other two children were still in the village, but had been adopted by another family.(ANI)