General

Death penalty defered for wife of Chinese politician

Gu Kailai, wife of disgraced Communist Party leader Bo Xilai was given a suspended death sentence in a Chinese court for killing a British business associate. She believed he was trying to harm her son.

In the Chinese legal system, that sentence is nearly the same as life in prison, reports The New York Times.

The sentence was announced with a two-year reprieve, which means the threat of execution will be lifted after two years. The Times reports that some legal experts say she may serve fewer than 12 years.

Zhang Xiaojun, Gu’s main accomplice and household employee, was given nine years in prison for his role in the poisoning death of Neil Heywood.

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