Gu Kailai escapes death sentence
Punishment for wife of shamed former party chief Bo Xilai fails to appease the sceptics, who claim it was a 'show trial'
Gu Kailai , the wife of shamed Politburo member Bo Xilai , was given a suspended death sentence yesterday at the end of a politically charged murder trial meant to put to rest swirling rumours and conspiracy theories surrounding one of the worst scandals to rock China in decades.
But the widely anticipated sentence, likely to be commuted to life imprisonment, has been greeted with deep scepticism, with many law experts denouncing the case as a show trial and a disgrace to the country's already flawed legal system.
The fate of her husband Bo, whose name was conspicuously not mentioned during the trial, in yesterday's court ruling or in state media coverage of the case, remains unclear.
But analysts said the verdict on Gu may pave the way for a lenient punishment of the former Chongqing party chief.
Bo, who was sacked in March and then suspended from the Politburo in April after reports of his wife's involvement in the death of British businessman Neil Heywood, has been accused only of unspecified violations of party discipline so far.
Chen Ziming , a political scientist based in Beijing, said Bo's punishment would be lenient and made public before the key party congress scheduled for the autumn. "The impact caused to Bo by his wife's trial is insignificant and the chance of severe punishment for Bo is minimal," said Chen.