Nie Shubin – wrongly executed

Nie Shubin's family only discovered he had been executed after his father went to take him food in prison.

The young farmer, who was barely in his 20s, was reportedly tortured into confessing to the rape and murder of a woman.

Years later, a man detained by police in connection with another case confessed to the crime for which Nie Shubin was executed; the man described the crime scene in detail.

We support Nie Shubin's family in their continuing fight for compensation for his wrongful execution.

Family destroyed

After Nie Shubin was executed in 1995 by a bullet to the back of his head, his grief-stricken father reportedly attempted suicide by drinking pesticide.

His mother said, "I just have one son; all my hopes rested on him. They've destroyed my future … Without my son, my family and I can't go on."

Nie Shubin's family were denied access to him after his arrest and never got to say goodbye. They have never been given a copy of the court's verdict.

A state secret

China is the world's leading executioner killing more people each year than the rest of the world combined. We don't know the exact number of executions carried out each year because the figure's a state secret.

Based on media reports, we believe at least 470 people were executed last year and 1,010 the year before. A Chinese criminal law professor estimated in early 2006 that annually China carried out 8,000 executions.

China uses the death penalty for about 68 offences, including crimes that aren't violent and white-collar crimes such as fraud and bribery. It's used arbitrarily and often there is political interference.