An appeal by a convicted murderer and rapist who confessed to a killing for which a teenager was wrongly convicted and executed began at the Inner Mongolia autonomous region's high court on Tuesday.

Zhao Zhihong, 42, confessed to a string of serious crimes after his arrest in 2005. They included a case in Hohhot, the region's capital, in which a woman was raped and murdered in 1996.

An 18-year-old named Hugjiltu was convicted of the crime and sentenced to death, and was executed just 61 days after the killing. However, Hugjiltu was declared innocent at a hearing in December at the High People's Court in Hohhot.

Zhao was charged with raping and killing nine women and girls, seven other counts of rape, and robbery and larceny between 1996 and 2005. However, his trial was postponed until after the hearing at which Hugjiltu was exonerated.

The trial resumed on Jan 5 and he was sentenced to death in February after being convicted of a series of crimes, including the murders of 10 women. The court deprived Zhao of his political rights for life, fined him 53,000 yuan ($8,500) and ordered him to pay 102,700 yuan in compensation to the victims. He appealed the death sentence.

Hugjiltu's parents were among 60 people who attended the start of the hearing.

Zhao confirmed in court that he had committed all the offenses he was convicted of. However, he added: "When I was put in jail 10 years ago I could accept the death penalty because I knew that I had committed the most heinous crimes.

"But I want to plead for the court's leniency and ask it to consider my repentance. I am now a normal man."

He pointed out that he had confessed to crimes that the police were not aware of.

The robbery cases were reviewed at a public hearing, and details of the murder and rape cases will be heard behind closed doors on Wednesday to protect the privacy of individuals.

Hugjiltu's parents, who had sought a review of their son's case for almost two decades, received State compensation of 2.05 million yuan in January, and the high court in Inner Mongolia apologized to them.

Feng Zhiming, the former deputy police chief in Hohhot who investigated Hugjiltu's case in 1996, has been arrested on suspicion of dereliction of duty and misuse of power.

zhang_yi@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily USA 04/15/2015 page4)