According to the Associated Press and Agence France-Presse, a Chinese businessman in Rwanda has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for torture after being caught on camera assaulting a local man in 2021.Sun Shujun, 43, the manager of a mine in the country's western region, was caught on tape beating a guy chained to a pole repeatedly.
In 2021, a 45-second video of the event was extensively circulated online, drawing enormous attention to the matter.The irate Chinese guy flogged a man who was face down on the ground and tied to a pole with a rope.
A small group of people dressed in orange jackets stood about watching.The mine produces cassiterite, which is the principal tin metal source.
Sun was accused by the prosecution of assaulting four people in total.Judge Jacques Kanyarukiga called Sun's actions "a grave crime", and said in Rwanda court that it was clear the Chinese man “tortured the victims and issued corporal punishment with malicious intent”.A Rwandan man, Renzaho Alexis, was sentenced to 12 years' jail for being an accomplice in the beatings.
The Chinese man acknowledged assaulting two workers, but said he beat them as he was "frustrated" with them for "constantly stealing minerals". Sun argued for his release and said in mitigation that he had compensated the two victims more than 1 million Rwanda francs (S$1,338) and signed a "reconciliation letter". The prosecution countered that the victims accepted the compensation out of fear of Sun and they were traumatised by him. Chinese embassy issues statement In response to the verdict, the Chinese embassy in Rwanda issued a statement on April 20 urging Chinese citizens living in Rwanda to abide by local laws.
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