Three Muslim Uygurs from the restive Xinjiang province were sentenced to death and a woman to life on Friday for their involvement in the deadly mass stabbings of passengers at a railway station in southern China early this year, in which 31 people were killed.
Iskandar Ehet, Turgun Tohtunyaz and Hasayn Muhammad were sentenced to death by the Kunming Municipal Intermediate People’s Court for leading a terrorist organisation and intentional homicide, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
A fourth suspect Patigul Tohti, an Uygur woman who allegedly took part in the attack was sentenced to life for the “intentional homicide”, the report said.
She was reportedly caught during the attack which sent shock waves across China. Public trial of the four began this morning.
China said the attack was planned and executed by al-Qaeda-backed East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) fighting for the independence of resource-rich Xinjiang.
On March 1, a group of assailants armed with knives attacked civilians at Kunming city’s railway station hacking everyone who came their way. Thirty-one people were killed and 141 others injured. Police shot dead four of the attackers.