China sentences former defence ministers to death

Former Chinese Defence Ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu have been sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve in corruption cases.

Both former ministers were expelled from the Communist Party of China in 2024 for “serious violations of discipline” — a term commonly used in China in cases involving corruption, Caliber.Az reports, citing state news agency Xinhua.

Under Chinese law, a death sentence with a suspended two-year execution period is typically commuted to life imprisonment if the convict does not commit further crimes during that time.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov