【英语中国】重庆市原司法局局长文强被执行死刑

A long-lasting sweep against corruption in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing claimed on Wednesday its most prominent casualty with the execution of the city's former justice chief.

Wen Qiang was put to death following the rejection in May by China's Supreme Court of an appeal of his conviction on charges including bribery, shielding criminal gangs, rape and inability to account for millions of dollars in cash and assets, according to Xinhua news agency. Xinhua didn't say how Wen was executed.

At the time of his arrest last September, Wen headed Chongqing's judiciary as director of the municipal Judicial Bureau. Previously, he served for 16 years as the vice director of the Public Security Bureau.

In court, Wen was photographed wearing a yellow prison jersey imprinted with a '1,' apparently indicating his notoriety as the prosecution's lead offender. He was convicted in April.

Over the past year, Chongqing mobster trials have grabbed national headlines with lurid revelations about sex, guns, drugs and cash, all traded in an atmosphere where the underworld blended with officialdom. Thousands were arrested and least 90 officials have so far been prosecuted, with death sentences or life terms handed down in 65 cases.

Among the prominent trials were those of a top judge, a defense lawyer and Wen's brothel-owning sister-in-law, who was sentenced to 18 years in prison.

The investigation has shaken hilly Chongqing, affecting operations from coal mines in its hinterland to the swanky downtown Hilton Hotel that was briefly closed last month over police allegations it tolerated prostitution and gang activity.

Coverage of Wen's execution Wednesday on Internet news sites was largely identical to the official Xinhua report, a possible indication that government is taking a more active role in controlling the message emerging from a corruption probe that has raised questions about the law and order situation elsewhere in China.

Many Chinese have cheered Bo Xilai, the Communist Party secretary in Chongqing municipality, for shaking up the system. Intentionally or not, Bo has emerged with a reputation as a populist corruption fighter ahead of national leadership shuffle in 2012.

'Safeguarding the livelihood of the people should be the ruling party's long-term cornerstone,' Bo said in a speech late last month.

周三，中国西南地区重庆市原司法局局长文强被执行死刑，这是重庆市持续已久的反腐打黑行动中最轰动的死刑执行案。

Associated Press重庆市原司法局局长文强(左)据新华社(Xinhua news agency)报道，中国最高人民法院在5月份驳回文强的上诉，核准文强犯受贿罪，包庇、纵容黑社会性质组织罪，强奸罪及巨额财产来源不明罪的裁定。文强被执行死刑。但新华社并未透露文强是如何被执行死刑的。

去年9月份文强被捕之时，他是重庆市司法局的局长。此前，他担任了长达16年之久的公安副局长之职。

图片显示，法庭上的文强身着黄色囚服，上面印着“1”这个数字，显然是指他是这一刑事起诉案件的头号罪犯。文强于今年4月被判刑。

过去一年中，重庆对犯罪团伙的审判占据了全国诸多媒体的头条，内容涉及耸然听闻的黑社会与政府官员勾结，进行枪支、毒品、金钱及性交易。迄今被捕者达数千人，至少90名官员被起诉，65例被判死刑或无期徒刑。

最受人瞩目的是对一位高级法官、一位辩护律师及包养异性的文强弟媳的审判，文强弟媳被判18年徒刑。

这次反腐打黑调查震动山城重庆，影响波及穷乡僻壤之地的煤矿，以及市中心豪华的希尔顿酒店。上月重庆希尔顿酒店因涉黑涉黄被暂时停业。

互联网上关于周三文强被执行死刑的报道与官方媒体新华社的报道基本相同，这可能表明，中国政府在控制反腐败调查信息方面正在发挥更积极的作用。中国的反腐调查已引发对中国其它地区法律及治安问题的质疑。

众多中国民众为动摇这种体制的重庆市委书记薄熙来喝彩。不管是否为有意之举，在2012年中国领导层更替之前，薄熙来在中国普通民众心众中已成为一个反贪斗士。

薄熙来上月末在一次发言中说，保障民生应是共产党长期执政的基石。