Bo's case follows basic legal principles: official newspaper

BEIJING - Bo Xilai's case followed basic legal principles and can be viewed as an example of legal procedures, a newspaper of the political and legal authorities of the Communist Party of China (CPC) said Monday.

Bo Xilai, former secretary of the Chongqing Municipal Committee of the CPC and a former member of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Sunday for bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power following an open court trial from August 22 to 26.

The public trial showed procedural justice, while the open verdict in accordance with the law showed substantive justice, said a commentary published Monday in the Legal Daily, the official newspaper of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee.

During the trial, the Jinan Intermediate People's Court in east China's Shandong Province strictly followed legal procedures stipulated by the newly-amended Criminal Procedural Law, allowing prosecutors and the defense to fully debate the case.

The trial was streamed live through a Twitter-like microblog service, an unprecedented move that has been widely commended by the public, both domestically and internationally, said the commentary.

It added that the facts of the case are clear, which is one of the preconditions for a guilty verdict, while another precondition is solid and sufficient evidence.

Although the defendant Bo Xilai withdrew a confession at the court trial, he could not justify his reason, and his explanation contradicted the evidence of the case.

The trial and verdict followed the principle of legality, meaning that no crime can be committed, nor may a penalty be given, without corresponding laws, according to the commentary.

The trial and the verdict also abided by the principle that responsibility and punishment must suit the crime, said the commentary, adding that the court dealt with the case based on the facts, the law, and followed such a principle when sentencing.

The case also demonstrated that in China, a socialist country under the rule of law, everyone is equal before the law. There are no special citizens under the law, no matter how strong a person's political power or how high the person's position, the commentary said.