Executed teenager cleared of rape and murder, 18 years after China put him to death

A mainland court has exonerated a young man executed for rape and murder nearly 20 years ago, but analysts cautioned that wrongful convictions would continue until the judicial system was thoroughly reformed.

The Inner Mongolia Higher People's Court said yesterday that Huugjilt, who was 18 when he was killed by firing squad in 1996, was innocent.

"We learned a heartbreaking lesson in this case; we are sorry," said Zhao Jianping, the court's deputy president. He presented 30,000 yuan (HK$37,960) to the parents as an expression of "sympathy", according to Xinhua.

Huugjilt's parents later visited his grave, where they burned a copy of the verdict "to tell him that the wrongful conviction has been redressed", the family said on its Weibo account.

His 62-year-old mother broke into tears in front of the grave. "I knew you were innocent, but I could not help you; I miss you so much," she said, according to video carried on the website of The Beijing News.

The court said it would set up a team to investigate the officials involved in the case.