Family appeals for more money

By Yang Lifei  |   2008-11-15  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

THE family of a man beaten to death by officials has appealed for compensation of more than 1.28 million yuan (US$182,857) to a higher court in Hubei Province.

The family said it was angry at the light sentences given to the assailants of Wei Wenhua. They were handed jail terms of between three and six years by Hubei Qianjiang City People's Court on Monday for beating Wei to death after he was spotted filming their clash with villagers.

The family appealed to Hubei Hanjiang Intermediate People's Court yesterday morning, according to Legal Weekly.

In addition, the family has forwarded a protest application to Qianjiang City Prosecutors' Office over the investigation, the report said.

On January 7, farmers were protesting to officials who planned to dump garbage on their land. Wei, 41, general manager of a Tianmen City construction firm, was nearby and started recording the clash on his cellphone. Once the officials realized they were being recorded, more than 20 urban administration officers started beating Wei. The beating triggered a heart attack, which killed Wei, according to the court's verdict.

Wei's family has received about 930,000 yuan in compensation.