Executions also were carried out in the southwestern city of Chongqing and in Changde, a city in the southern province of Hunan. A total of 14 people were put to death in the two cities for a nine-year spree of thefts and killings, Xinhua said. Six of those executed were members of a gang of armed robbers who killed 18 people and seriously injured three others, it said. Another five of those put to death were part of a gang that mainly stole cars, Xinhua said. The gang also killed seven people, it said.
China keeps nationwide execution figures a secret and the condemned in China are generally shot.
Amnesty International and other rights groups say China has executed more than 500 people since April 11. A Western diplomat, tallying reports in Chinese state-run media, counted 801 executions in the final three weeks of April alone. The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.