05 May 2009 :

Supreme People's Court said in a statement that 1,279 people were sentenced to death or prison terms of five years to life in 2008 in cases involving organized crime. Courts at all levels tried 473 such cases involving 5,066 suspects in 2008, up 27 percent over the previous year. The courts convicted 2,774 people in 273 cases, with 46 percent of those convicted receiving "severe" penalties, according to the Supreme Court. "All the courts strictly followed the law, legal regulations and criminal law policies" and helped maintain social order, the court said in the press release.