Huugjilt's case is eligible for state compensation and those responsible for the wrong verdict will be held accountable, said a spokesman of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Regional Higher People's Court at a press conference on Dec 15.

Huugjilt, an 18-year-old, was sentenced to death and executed in a controversial rape and murder case in 1996. Huugjilt was acquitted of his crimes 18 years later in Inner Mongolia.

Huugjilt was exonerated due to unclear facts and insufficient evidence in a retrial, and the case was eligible for state compensation, said the spokesman. In accordance with the State Compensation Law of the People’s Republic of China, if the victim dies, his or her heir or dependent relatives can file for application.

The court has informed Huugjilt's parents that they can file for state compensation when it delivers the retrial verdict. When the application is filed, the court will immediately start the procedure of state compensation and give its ruling as soon as possible.

The spokesman said the autonomous region’s Party committee is very concerned and has set up an investigative team in accordance with the principle of seeking truth from facts and punishing those who made mistakes. "We will rigorously implement the order and punish those who were responsible for the wrong verdict. Any new progress will be made public in a timely manner."

Edited by Michael Thai

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